Indiependence: From the town square to the big top in the big field

Indiependence organiser Shane Dunne tells Joe Leogue how the Mitchelstown festival has grown from humble beginnings

AS Indiependence approaches its eleventh annual outing this weekend, promoter Shane Dunne put its success down to ‘accidents’, ‘luck’ and above all, hard work.

“It was a complete accident really, to be honest about it,” he says as a matter of fact about the circumstances that saw him take over the flagging fortunes of Mitchelstown’s former festival. Held in the town’s square for years, a misguided billing of one-hit-wonder Eamon and fellow rapper Coolio in 2004 sank the festival’s fortunes.