Festival to ‘give something back’ to children’s hospital

A festival which began life inspired by a child’s recovery at Crumlin Children’s Hospital is expected to draw over 15,000 people to Clonmel this weekend.

The fourth annual Clonmel Busking Festival got under way yesterday in the south Tipperary town and continues until Sunday.

It aims to bolster the €50,000 it raised in its first three years for Our Lady’s Hospital in Crumlin.

One of the festival’s founders, guitarist Eelco Beckers, said he was determined to help the hospital after seeing the care given to his son Josh who spent the first year of his life as a patient there.

Josh, now four-and-a-half, underwent a bone marrow transplant in 2009 and has since made a full recovery. “You wouldn’t know he was ever ill and that’s thanks to Our Lady’s Hospital, Crumlin. We owe his life to the hospital and we want to give something back,” Mr Beckers said.

There will be free entertainment and street busking by day during the festival and over 100 bands playing free gigs at night.

The Clonmel Busking Festival is part of Festival Cluain Meala and on Sunday, there will also be a Medieval Family Fun Day. This promises something for all ages including archery, combat school, climbing wall, re-enactments, Buí Bolg street arts, mobile farm, arts and craft tents, traditional demonstrations, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, buskers, artisan food stalls and cultural stands.

The centre of Clonmel will be taken over for a huge street céilidh, followed by a free live gig with local bands, with Mundy headlining the event, from 4 to 7pm.

Other well-known names including Bagatelle, Rob Strong and the Dublin City Ramblers will also play during the busking festival.

And there will be a Festival Cluain Meala concert in Old St Mary’s Church on Saturday.