A journey through music at Doolin Folk Festival

 

John Creedon: 'This is a true ‘boutique festival’ – small and super cool,

where the music really matters.'

 

Philip King: 'Out there on the edge of the country,

Doolin allows both musicians and audiences to reconnect.'

 

Set in the Brigadoon-like atmosphere of Doolin, Co Clare – between the Burren, the Cliffs of Moher and the Aran islands – this mid-June festival could, on the one hand, be seen as a quiet, escape-from-it-all long weekend. On the other hand, it is anything but.

Taking inspiration from the great festivals of the past like Lisdoonvarna, Doolin is actually an intense musical journey.

From classics of Irish folk like Sharon Shannon and Stockton’s Wing, to the beat-driven vibes of Moxie and Aldoc; from the intimacy of outstanding soloists like Paddy Keenan, Tóla Custy, Floriane Blancke and Dermot Byrne joined by equally talented accompanists like Daoiri Farrell, Brendan O’Reagan and Cyril O’Donoghue, to the firework arrangements on display from the likes of We Banjo 3 and Fiddlers’ Bid; from the singer-songwriter tradition of Declan O’Rourke, Mick Flannery, Luka Bloom (in O’Sahara) and The Lost Brothers, to the more plugged-in sounds of David Hope, Simon O’Reilly and Fiach Moriarty …

… though you’re tucked away in the magical atmosphere of West Clare, you’ll be whisked off with such great artists on a musical journey through folk time, style and culture. Or as Philip King put it, you’ll “experience that unbroken but changing nature of our rich and nourishing music.”

Festival organiser and Hotel Doolin manager, Dónal Minihane explains: “One of the key aspects of the festival for us is that it has the feel of a community. It’s early days yet, but there is already a great sense that people will join us here every year and just pick up where things left off. And that’s got to be true for both the musicians and the audiences or we’re not doing our job.”

Day and Weekend Tickets for the Doolin Folk Festival, running from Friday 12 to Monday 15 June, will go on sale shortly from www.entertainment.ie. More information is available on www.doolinfolkfestival.com or by contacting Lisa Fearon at [email protected]

Full lineup:

MICK FLANNERY  - DECLAN O’ROURKE

SHARON SHANNON – STOCKTONS’ WING

WE BANJO 3 – O’SAHARA – COLM MAC CON IOMAIRE

PADDY KEENAN & DAOIRI FARRELL – THE LOST BROTHERS

FIDDLERS’ BID – NoCROWS – MOXIE -

FIDDLE CASE with special guest CHRISTY BARRY

BRENDAN O’REAGAN DERMOT BYRNE & FLORIANE BLANCKE - ANUL

ALDOC – TÓLA CUSTY & CYRIL O’DONOGHUE - FOUR WINDS – DAVID HOPE – SIMON O’REILLY  - FIACH MORIARTY

BRIAN O’LEARY & FRIENDS