New elements added as Tuam's Trad Festival continues to grow

By Declan Tierney

Hundreds are expected to descend on Tuam for the third annual Trad Festival which has Frankie Gavin and De Dannan as the headline act.The three-day festival of music takes place from Friday, September 14 to Sunday 16 with free sessions being held in the vast majority of pubs in the town.

Around 100 musicians will be taking part during the course of the weekend with trad lovers being accommodated with simultaneous sessions in pubs during the day and night.

“There could be five or six pubs going at any one time”, explained organiser Ann Coen who said that trad enthusiasts would be spoilt for choice. She also confirmed that local businessman Tommy Varden has come on board as the main sponsor for the festival.

For the first time the festival will be awarding two young Musicians of the Year awards with one for under 16-year-olds and the other for under 23-year-olds. Entries for these are being taken before the end of the month to the organisers.

Already there has been an encouraging entry for the competitions and the contestants will be performing in various venues throughout the festival.

The organising committee will also bestow a Hall of Fame award on a performer who has given his or her life to traditional music and this will also become an annual event.

This year’s festival will be launched by Frankie Gavin on the Friday night in the Corralea Court Hotel while music will be provided by Macalla who are Siamsa 2012 winners. The public are invited to come along to this.

Then Frankie Gavin and De Dannan will take to the stage in the marquee and will be supported by Ann Kirrane who will be performing tracks from her One Small Star CD. Tickets for this concert are €14 and are available locally.

Throughout the weekend the pub sessions will kick off in the early afternoon and continue to the late hours with musicians arriving from various parts of the country.

A big part of the festival are the workshops in traditional music, singing and dance. Those in attendance will include Áine McGrath Droney (fiddle), Eileen O’Brien (masterclass), Anita Broderick (tin whistle), Noreen Gavin O’Sullivan (masterclass), Neillidh Mulligan (uilleann pipes), PJ Hernon (accordion), Cillian Donnaghy (banjo), Jack Talty (concertina), John Wynne (flute), Johnny ‘Ringo’ McDonagh (bodhrán), Pauline Hanly (traditional singing), Emma O’Sullivan (sean-nós dancing).

The trad festival will also include on-street busking competitions, a céilí in the Árd Rí House Hotel, an Irish Mass, a trad disco for the kids and it will conclude with a barn dance in the marquee.