THE Drimoleague Singing Festival has established itself as a feast of musical talent bringing incredible voices and sounds to West Cork. This year is no exception, with a fantastic line-up including Irish rock royalty The Hothouse Flowers.
The 7th Drimoleague Singing Festival runs from Thursday September 19th to Sunday September 22nd, and brings together some of Ireland’s most unique voices for a series of events, workshops, sessions and concerts that will sate all tastes.
The Hothouse Flowers will be performing on the Sunday night of the event.
The acoustic gig takes place in All Saints Church and features special guests The Festival Schools’ Choir conducted by Susan McManamon and Clann Na nGael All-Ireland Scór winners Saoirse Connolly and Molly McQueen. Tickets to the gig are €25 and are selling well for what should be a fantastic night.
The festival line-up is impressive, and gets underway at 10am on Thursday September 19th with a Children’s Choir Workshop for local primary schools with Susan McManamon.
At midday on Thursday there’s a Song Sharing Session in the Pod Páirc, which is open to all and is free. It will feature the close harmony singing of The Ferns all-female acapella group.
On Thursday evening the final of the Festival Pub Singing Competition takes place at 8.30pm upstairs at the Drimoleague Inn, another great free event.
On Friday there’s a special sing-song at Fairfield Nursing Home for residents and their families, with festival regulars Mick Brown and Mick Roche and special guest Dave Larkin.
That evening members of the Inishowen Traditional Singers Circle will be special guests for an event at 8pm upstairs at the Drimoleague Inn, where they will to host a singing session featuring the songs of their area. This follows a screening of the documentary film: It’s a Fine Thing to Sing – Songs and Singers of the Inishowen Peninsula.
The Saturday and Sunday schedules are packed. On Saturday morning at 9.30am, one of Ireland’s most singular artists, Nóirín Ní Riain, will host a singing workshop at the Corner Gallery on Main Street. The workshop costs €10.
At 11am there’s a tribute to Delia Murphy with Cathy Jordan and piper Ronan Browne in the Village Hall, another free event, while Drimoleague Community Choir will perform at Collins Centra at midday.
Niamh Parsons and Graham Dunne perform a lunchtime concert at 1pm at the Methodist Church (€20). Niamh Bury is in the Village Hall at 3pm (€20) and at 4.30pm Abair Amhrán will perform as Gaeilge in the Village Hall with special guest Sorcha de Róiste in a free gig.
George Murphy needs no introduction, and he will be joined by musical friends will be upstairs at the Drimoleague Inn (€20) at 5pm.
There’s open singing sessions led by Fran McPhail of the Voice Squad at McCarthy’s Bar at 6pm, and the talents of Ger Wolfe and John Spillane will be on show at St Matthews Church at 8pm (€20), telling magical stories through their music.
Sunday morning starts with a singing workshop with Niamh Parsons at the Corner Gallery at 11am (€10 admission) while Nóirin Ní Riain will be joined by special guest Liam Ó Maonlaí for a special concert on Sunday lunchtime showcasing her unique and deeply spiritual take on traditional and sacred music.
Conchubhar Ó Luasa and Danny Maidchí Ó Suilleabháin lead an open session at McCarthys Bar at 1.30pm and at 3pm there’s a special Famine commemoration at the site of the Drimoleague Famine mass grave. Margaret Murphy from the Skibbereen Heritage Centre will be the guest speaker at the Famine Memorial.
The Top of the Rock Pod Páirc hosts a special concert at 3.30pm featuring Ultan Conlon and Miceal O’Connor, admission is €15.
The festival looks set to come to a spectacular close with the Hothouse Flowers in All Saints Church.
See who are performing on drimoleaguesingingfestival.ie where tickets can also be purchased.
