Music festival set for holiday success

WITH up to 20,000 visitors expected to throng Dungarvan this coming May Bank Holiday weekend for what is now one of the country’s foremost traditional music festivals, the local economy is set to benefit to the tune of more than €2 million.

The twelfth annual Guinness Féile na nDéise will be launched this evening in Dungarvan courthouse by legendary GAA match commentator Micheal Ó Muircheartaigh, and with the most varied and exciting ever programme of events in place the town is all set for the most memorable of weekends.

Many months of time-consuming effort have been ploughed into the organising of the festival with as many as two hundred people involved.

From the outset Féile na nDéise has had sponsorship backing of the Guinness Group, and over the years has earned the reputation of one of the biggest traditional music festivals of its kind in the country.

Apart from the Guinness sponsorship many local companies have also come on board with financial backing, while a grant of €7,000 from Waterford County Council’s Art Grants scheme has helped to meet the massive costs of staging this year’s event.

“When you have two hundred people organisationally involved it speaks volumes for the community spirit of the people of Dungarvan,” the chairperson of the organising committee, Áine O’Riordan, said.

“We are also very lucky to have such an abundance of talented musicians, singers, and dancers who are all willing to play their part. When these are joined by hundreds of artists from all corners of Ireland and abroad you then have the ingredients for the special weekend of music, song, dance, and craic that lies ahead”, she added.

On a programme of many highlights is the magnificent Cork soprano Cara O’Sullivan.