Details for Castleisland’s 25th annual Patrick O’Keeffe Traditional Music Festival have just been released.
A comprehensive programme of activity has been put together by the committee under the chairmanship of Cormac O’Mahony for the October bank holiday weekend from Friday 27th to Monday 30th. The usual added warning that it’s subject to changes applies.
The festival will open with an exhibition of newspaper cuttings put together in the course of extensive research by local musician and Handed Down co-founder, P.J. Teahan.
Music Trail Throughout
This will be held in the River Island Hotel and will be accompanied with a music session and the music trail will break out in pubs throughout the town afterwards.
An interesting link with the most iconic photograph of Patrick O’Keeffe will be explored by first time festival guest, Dónal Clancy. It was Dónal’s late father, Liam who took that photograph in Lyons’ Bar in Scartaglin in 1955 during a music and song collecting tour of Ireland with American mining heiress, Diane Guggenheim who, for security reasons, was travelling under the alias, Dian Hamilton.
Friday, October 27th:
9.00pm. Patrick O’ Keeffe / Sliabh Luachra Exhibition by P.J. Teahan with musical accompaniment at the River Island Hotel.
10pm. Pub Trail begins with organised and impromptu sessions with Ireland’s top traditional musicians in pubs throughout the town. A detailed programme will be available online and in the pubs and hotel.
Saturday, October 28th.
9.45am. Registration for music classes, all levels catered for. St. Patrick’s Secondary School, College Road. All Classes will be Sliabh Luachra orientated.
10.00am. FiddleClasses with Connie O’Connell, Emma O’Leary and Gerry Harrington.
10.00am Flute Classes with Billy Clifford and Joe O’Sullivan.
10.00am Accordion Classes with Bryan O’Leary and Paudie O’Connor.
10.00am Banjo classes with Ciaran O’Sullivan and Brian Mooney.
2.00pm: Fiddle Recital/ Concert in the Ivy Leaf Arts Centre. Hosted by Matt Cranitch with guests: Frankie Gavin, Gerry Harrington, Emma O’Leary, Dylan Foley, Paddy Jones, Connie Connell and Andrea Palandri.
2.00pm: Glór na Féile le Éamonn Ó Braoin – Brush up on your conversational Irish in an informal, relaxed class with Éamonn Ó Braoin in Nana Bea’s Restaurant beside the new library.
From 4.00: Singing Concert in Hartnett’s Bar with Mickey MacConnell, Muirean Nic Amhlaoibh, Dónal Clancy, Tim Dennehy and Don Stiffe. Hosted by Aileen Rowntree.
Saturday Night: Pub trail continues until late.
Sunday, October 29th:
11:30am Mass with traditional music for the departed friends of the festival. Followed by a musical remembrance at St. John’s Cemetery.
1pm: Pub Trail runs all day.
3pm: Set Dancing in An Riocht Athletic Club pavilion with Donie Nolan.
3pm: Open singing workshop. All singers welcome. Hosted by Joe Walsh and Mikey O’Connor the singing legend and Dónal Clancy and guests.
6.30pm: Lecture by festival founder member, Peter Browne, RTE on Patrick O’ Keeffe’s life and times and the festival history.
Sunday night: Pub Trail continues.
Sunday Night 8.00 p.m. The 25th. Anniversary Concert. M.C. Tim Dennehy.
The line-up includes: The Smokey Chimney Trio: Gerry Harrington, Eoin O’Sullivan and Paul De Grae.
Conor Daly, winner of the Mike Kenny young musician award Conor Daly.
Jackie Daly and Matt Cranitch.
Bryan O’Leary and Andrea Palandri.
Connie O’Connell and Eileen De Paor.
Dylan Foley and John Blake.
Frankie Gavin and Friends.
Don Stiff, singer.
Damien Mullane and band. Early Booking Advised on 066 71 42555
Pub trail continues.
Monday, October 30th.
1pm. pub trail will continue all day till late.
Monday at 3.00pm
Poet and writer Gabriel Fitzmaurice is inviting the so inclined to a poetry writing workshop in Browne’s back Bar.
Accommodation Details
River Island Hotel, Town Centre
066 71 42555
Taylor’s Lodge, Scartaglin Road
066 71 42170
Island Heights, Killarney Road
066 71 41068
Prendiville’s Town House, Cordal Road
066 71 42052
Cloghan Lodge, Killarney Road
066 71 42566
Bawn House, College Road
066 71 42104
Betty Riordan, Limerick Road
066 71 42989
Self Catering Bungalow, Ballyplymouth All year
066 71 41160
Dermot McCarthy’s
Country Cottages, Killarney Road
087 2792137
Bawnaluska House, Airbnb, College Road
089 48 44 112 E: mcelligott.gina@gmail.com
Bed & Breakfast. Two Double Rooms. Tel: Margaret on: 087 21 09 590.
Updates on the accommodations list are welcome. Any corrections on availability can be made on an ongoing basis. 
You can contact The Maine Valley Post on… Anyone in The Maine Valley Post catchment area who would like to send us news and captioned photographs for inclusion can send them to: jreidy@mainevalleypost.com Queries about advertising and any other matters regarding The Maine Valley Post can also be sent to that address or just ring: 087 23 59 467. Please Note: A click on any of our adverts will reveal all you need to know about what our advertisers need to tell you.
Copyright Notice: The images and text which appear on The Maine Valley Post site remain the exclusive property of John Reidy, (unless stated otherwise) and are protected under International Copyright laws. Images or text may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without the written permission of the author, John Reidy, in this instance. Use of any image as the basis for another photographic concept or illustration (digital, artist rendering or alike) is a violation of International Copyright laws. All images are copyrighted © by John Reidy 2017 087 23 59 467.
