Mayo Manchester Tradfest returns for seventh annual festival
It has long been a source of pride in Ballina that the Mayo Manchester Tradfest anchors itself in the area every year to produce a superb series of music, dance and arts events for the entire county, and for its visitors from home and abroad.
The Mayo Manchester Tradfest which is one of Ireland’s biggest Traditional Irish Music, Song and Dance Festival returns for the seventh time time this summer.
The week long festival which runs from Thursday 1st August to Wednesday 7th August will feature over 500 performers taking part in over 100 events at 8 different Hubs in Mayo along the Wild Atlantic Way.
Over 90% of the events in the week-long family friendly festival are free of charge and accessible to all. The areas included in this year’s festival are as follows; Achill Island, Ashford Castle and Cong, Attymass, Ballina, Bonnicononlon, Castlebar, Claremorris and Westport. The festival is already the winner of Mayo’s International Award and was a finalist in Failte Ireland’s Tourism Industry Awards for festivals which attract over 50,000 visitors.
Early Bird tickets for the festival’s annual 7th Mayo Manchester Tradfest Gala Concert sponsored by Ballina’s Davy’s Tool Hire on Saturday 3rd August at the Ballina Arts Centre have just gone on sale and are priced at just 10 Euros each if purchased before the 10th July. They can be booked by contacting the centre on 096 73593 or online at www.ballinaartscentre.com
Other festival highlights in the Ballina area include the live Midwest Radio twoi hour broadcast which will once again launch the festival on Thursday 1st August at the Fr Peyton Centre from 6pm-8pm. The event which is being sponsored by Centra Store in Enniscrone and Centra Store in Castlebar which are both owned by Ballina’s, Paul Keegan. It will feature a host of performers from the Tradfest on the show which will be broadcast live around the globe. On Monday 5th August the Tradfest will once again help launch the Bonniconlon show at 12 noon and to finish the festival off the performers are staging a special festival closing party at the newly opened Tarbh 47 Music venue on Garden Street in Ballina from 9pm onwards.
The Festivals featured performers from Manchester include the award winning Fianna Phadraig Pipe Band, Irish singer and traditional Irish musician, Joe Keegan from the TV show The Voice, flute player John Gibson and Irish fiddle player Fidelma O’Brien. Performers from Mayo include: Sean nos dancers, The Ganley Sisters as seen on RTE’s Late Late Show, the award winning Foxford Brass Band, Ballina’s Centre Stage Vocal Academy, Shauna OBoyle, Dennis McCalmont and the award winning Turley Duggan School of Irish Dancing plus Ireland’s hottest new country music act – Sina Theil (pictured). The festival’s main events will all be hosted by the Voice of Old Trafford at Manchester United Football Club, Mr Alan Keegan.
Festival highlights a live broadcast from Midwest Radio at the Fr Peyton Centre in Attymass and a VIP Launch concert at Breaffy House Resort Hotel on the opening night of Thursday 1st August. The festival moves to Achill Island on Friday 2nd August for a performance at the Achill Head Hotel. On Saturday 3rd August the festival stages its annual Gala Concert at the Ballina Arts Centre which will feature Mayo and Manchester’s Premier Irish artists in a two hour Irish Music, Song and Dance Concert. Sunday 4th August sees the festival open up this year’s 101st Claremorris Agricultural show. On Monday 5th August the festival opens Ireland’s second biggest Agricultural show and Gymkhana in Bonniconlon, during the evening the group head to Westport for a special performance at the Helm Bar, which is being recorded for Mayo TV and will be hosted by TV presenter Henry McGlade. On Tuesday 6th August the group will be appearing at the Centra Store in Castlebar. On Wednesday 7th August the group will be appearing in Cong village for a public performance at 12 noon followed by a private visit to Ashford Castle. Finally, the festival is brought to a close with a free concert at the newly opened Tarbh47 Live Music venue on Garden Street in Ballina at 9pm.
For more information about the festival and details about tickets see www.mayomanchester.com
