Tradfest returns to Mayo

STAR QUALITY Ireland’s hottest new country act, Sina Theil, is on the Tradfest 2019 line-up.

The renowned Mayo Manchester Tradfest returns to Mayo to stage its seventh annual week-long festival this August.
It will take place all over Mayo, from Achill to Attymass and from Claremorris to Westport.
The festival is one of Ireland’s biggest festivals of traditional Irish music, song and dance. It features over 500 performers taking part in over 100 events at eight different hubs in Mayo. Over 90 percent 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.
Highlights include a special ‘Around the Fire’ show at The Helm Bar at Westport Quay on Bank Holiday Monday, August 5, which will be filmed for Henry McGlade’s iMayo TV show.
The festival’s seventh annual gala concert will take place on Saturday, August 3, at the Ballina Arts Centre. Early bird tickets for the concert went on sale priced at just €10 if purchased before July 10. They can be booked by contacting the centre on 096 73593 or online at www.ballinaartscentre.com.
“The festival is a legacy event from the Mayo Manchester Gathering which we organised in 2013,” said Tony Hennigan of organisers Mayo Manchester.
“The event won Tourism Ireland’s biggest gathering of the year and has since gone on to win the Mayo International Award and was a finalist representing Mayo in the FΡilte Ireland Tourism Industry awards for festivals attracting over 50,000 visitors.
“It keeps on growing each year with more events and venues being added and we are very grateful for the support we receive both in Mayo and Manchester to stage the festival,” added Hennigan.
The festival gets underway with a live broadcast by Midwest Radio at the Fr Peyton Centre in Attymass and a VIP launch concert at Breaffy House Resort on the opening night of Thursday, August 1.
The festival moves to Achill Island on Friday, August 2, for a performance at the Achill Head Hotel. On Saturday, August 3, 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 concert of Irish music, song and dance.
Sunday, August 4, sees the festival open up this year’s 101st Claremorris Agricultutral Show. On Monday, August 5, the festival opens Ireland’s second biggest agricultural show and gymkhana in Bonniconlon.
That evening the group head to Westport for a special performance at the Helm Bar, which is being recorded for iMayo TV and will be hosted by Henry McGlade. On Tuesday, August 6 the group will be appearing at the Centra store in Castlebar.
On Wednesday, August 7, 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.