The line-up for this year’s Westport Music Festival, which takes place from Thursday, August 5, to Sunday, August 8, has finally been announced. This is the festival’s fifth year, and it promises to bring the crowds onto the streets once again.
Westport Music Festival balloonsHenry McGlade The line-up for this year’s Westport Music Festival, which takes place from Thursday, August 5, to Sunday, August 8, has finally been announced. This is the festival’s fifth year, and it promises to bring the crowds onto the streets once again. A free, open-air event, it aims to provide high-quality entertainment for the local community, young and old.
The music kicks off on the Thursday night with the ever-popular Mundy, who is playing with special guest Sharon Shannon. Mundy, who has made Steve Earl’s ‘Galway Girl’ such an anthem, is still riding high on the success of his recent album ‘Strawberry Blood’. A collection of uplifting songs, it’s a tuneful tonic for the times.
Playing support on the Thursday night are The Amazing Apples from Galway and Mayo. Expect anthemic cover songs from the likes of The Beatles, Johnny Cash, Thin Lizzy, The Saw Doctors, The Horslips, The Kinds of Leon and The Killers.
The proceedings take on a distinctively country flavour on Friday night, August 6, when Longford man Declan Nerney takes to the stage. Having recorded eight top-selling albums to date, he and song-writing maestro Henry McMahon have penned many much-loved numbers, including ‘Marquee in Drumlish’, ‘Anna from Fermanagh’, ‘Up in the Mornin’, ‘Christmas Hooley’ and ‘Three-Way Love Affair’.
Also playing on Friday night is one of Westport’s finest, the inimitable John Staunton. The country singer, who is busy flying to-and-fro over the Atlantic these days, will perform songs from his much-loved country album ‘Starting Over’.
The entertainment turns back to rock and roll on Saturday, with U2 tribute band Rattle and Hum set to prove they’re even better than the real thing.
Like the band that inspired them, Rattle and Hum are from Dublin. These impeccable and experienced musicians have gained a serious reputation for being able to pull of a U2 gig to Irish live audiences. Westport will reverberate to U2 songs that span the band’s entire career from ‘Boy’ to their modern incarnation.
Playing support to Rattle and Hum are Strayed. This up-and-coming Castlebar band is comprised of Chris Staunton (lead guitar), Richard Cresham (bass), Darren Keaveney (drums) and Brendan Staunton (songwriter, lead vocals, guitar, piano, bass and any other instrument that needs playing). Their sound is between the ’90s and the naughties, and the gig is sure to preview many of the songs the band is planning to include in their upcoming album.
Sunday will be headlined, somewhat appropriately, by the The BibleCode Sundays. A London-based celtic rock band that has been compared to The Pogues, the BibleCodes’ music is a lively mixture of traditional Irish folk with traditional London pub rock.
Formerly known as SlΡinte, they were voted Best Band on the London Circuit in 2006 in The Irish World awards.
They were also the last band to play at the famous Galtymore Ballroom in London before it closed its doors for the very last time. Two of the band members are originally from Mulranny – Enda Mulloy and Joe Moran. The BibleCodes will be joined on stage by the The Mulloy Brothers ballad group (Enda’s father, Tom is one of the members).
But there’s more to the Westport Music Festival than music… There’ll be plenty of family entertainment, including busking competitions, story telling, facepainting and a bouncy castle for the kids.
This year’s festival also includes hot air ballooning with balloonflights.ie. This fully certified and well-established company will run balloon flights twice a day, early morning and evening (when the winds are slacker), starting on Thursday evening.
Speaking to The Mayo News, Bill from
balloonflights.ie explained that he is really looking forward to the opportunity to fly over Westport and offer passangers a view of the town from a very different perspective. To book a ride in the balloon, contact Bill on 01 4433211 or 085 7151512 or visit www.balloonflights.ie.
The balloons trips cater for up to eight people per voyage, with prices set at €240 for a single ticket, €440 for two, and €200 per person when four or more places are booked.
