VIDEO: Revellers rock at 10th Indiependence festival

Mitchelstown was unusually quiet on the August Bank Holiday weekend 10 years ago, as the town’s annual summer festival took an enforced hiatus amid an uncertain future.

A decade on and the re-branded Indiependence festival is in rude health as it celebrates its tenth edition. Having started out in 2006 as a free open air event in the town’s square under new local management, Indiependence has grown to an 8,000 capacity all-ticket affair hosted across multiple stages on the outskirts of the town. Tickets for the festival sold out days in advance.

Renowned for hosting emerging Irish artists, Indiependence has added international bands to its billing in recent years. UK dance producers Basement Jaxx became the latest overseas act to play the Deer Farm venue last night.

Former Screaming Trees frontman and sometime Queens of the Stone Age collaborator Mark Lanegan was due to bring last night’s run of acts to a close at 1am, though the nearby 80s vs 90s DJ battle and a silent disco were on hand to keep campers dancing through the night.

Thousands arrived onsite yesterday and set up camp in humid and overcast conditions. While heavy rain swept across North Cork in the morning, the rain was thankfully limited in the early evening to a few light showers.

Tonight sees Downpatrick rock stalwarts Ash play Indiependence for the second time, while tomorrow night marks a hat-trick of appearances at the event for Kodaline, who played their first festival set in Mitchelstown in 2012.

Elsewhere across the country, Castlepalooza is in full swing, with Hercules and the Love Affair headlining tonight’s proceedings at the three-day music and arts festival in Charleville Castle, Co Offaly.

Dún Laoghaire Harbour will host the sounds of Sister Sledge and Four Tet over the weekend as the Beat Yard becomes the latest addition to Ireland’s summer festival line-up.

In another first, Temple Bar is to host its inaugural food festival. Fiestaval will take place in Meeting House Square tomorrow and Monday between 12 noon and 6pm. Organisers promise “an urban picnic area where you can sit and savour the culinary delights” from the best restaurants in the area.

Music, theatre, and parades will feature as part of Waterford’s annual Spraoi festival, while Cork Pride’s 10th annual parade will start tomorrow at Grand Parade from 2pm.

Meanwhile, the hotly- contested All-Ireland Scarecrow Championship will be decided at the Durrow Scarecrow Festival in Laois across the bank holiday weekend.

In the North West the Tread Softly…Festival celebrates the work of William and Jack Butler Yeats, with this year’s event focusing particularly on WB on the 150th anniversary of his birth.