Tedfest is Rob’s cup of tea as tribute paid to Dermot
Tedfest took place over the weekend to celebrate the cult television programme Father Ted.
Events included The Craggy Island Cup, a mock wedding and, of course, the famous Lovely Girls Contest, hosted by the son of Fr Ted himself, Rob Morgan.
Peter Phillips, organiser of Tedfest, said the weekend always attracts a large crowd to Inis Mór: “The locals are very supportive of Tedfest and we generally have free rein over the island.
“The residents profit from increased trade in pubs, restaurants, B&Bs, and so on and the festival-goers are always respectful of the island and those living on it.”
Residents have welcomed the festival for eight years and they were particularly appreciative of the influx of tourists this year. Many parts of the island were damaged by recent storms. Some of their bigger industries such as fishing have been negatively impacted.
Sally Costello, a B&B owner, said members of the community have been unable to fish for some time: “My son hasn’t been out since early December. That’s a very long time to wait when you’re depending on the income. Tedfest has breathed new life into Inis Mór and we’re delighted.”
Dermot Morgan, who played the titular character, passed away 16 years ago and the festival marked his anniversary last Friday. His son, Rob, said: “I’m active in a few of the events for Tedfest. I’m proud to follow in my father’s footsteps by hosting the Lovely Girls Competition every year and they let me run a few other events as well.
“I introduced the first three-sided football match in the Craggy Cup this year, which I’m especially happy about.”
Organisers are also planning to team up with those behind World Social Media Day to host a Father Ted themed event in Cork in June. The London Irish Centre will also play host to Tedfest’s ‘One-Day Pop Tart’ in July. At the event, Rob will chair An Audience Without Dermot, a question and answer session about his father.
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