A blast of trad on streets of Dingle

ANYBODY looking for a blast of trad won’t do better than Dingle next weekend when the annual Tradfest fills venues throughout the town with the best of traditional music, song and dance.

The festival, which aims to provide a platform for modern and original talent, will fill ‘session trail’ pubs with music all day and late into the night on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and singers and dancers will be able to get in on the act at open sessions on Saturday afternoon.

In what could be a godsend for aspiring Rose of Tralee contestants, Edwina Guckian will host an ‘all ages’ dance workshop in Benner’s hotel at noon on Saturday, teaching sean-nós steps, the brush dance and other party-pieces.

At 4pm on the same day there will be more dancing in the Dingle Pub, led by Officially Tapped, Edwina Guckian, members of Áirc Damhsa and others. Mighty craic is assured at that one!

At 7pm on Sunday St. James’ Church will host Coirmcheoil na Féile, featuring Michael McGoldrick, Tony Byrne and Edwina Guckian which will leave just enough time for people to make off the festival’s closing session with Derek Hickey, Catherine McHugh and special guests Curran’s Pub further up Main Street.

Concert tickets and the full festival programme are available and online at tradfest.ie or on tradfest’s facebook page and concert tickets are also for sale at Mazz O’Flaherty’s Dingle Record Shop on Green Street and the Dingle Bar on Main Street.

The session trail venues are: The Dingle Pub, Curran’s, McCarthy’s, O’Sullivan’s Courthouse Pub, An Droichead Beag, O’Flaherty’s, Adam’s Bar, Neligan’s, Foxy John’s, Kennedy’s, Dingle Bay Hotel, John Benny’s, Dick Mack’s, An Chonair.