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Irish Festivals for Everyone

Cahir O'Doherty

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Tuesday, March 10, 2009, 4:14 PM

Updated Thursday, July 23, 2009, 6:08 PM

Read more: Irish American Heritage Center, Culture and Lifestyle, Irish Culture, Tommy Makem

The summer Irish festival season is now in full swing, and from the small-scale offerings to massive three-day music events, there's one for you, nationwide. This week the Irish Voice picks some tried and tested highlights.

July 13-15 sees the annual Irish American Heritage Festival in Chicago. A weekender celebrating the best in Irish music, dancing, food, and cultural exhibits, the festival benefits the Irish American Heritage Center (IAHC) which is dedicated to recognizing and strengthening Irish American culture and heritage. The festival attracts 10,000 people from all over the Midwest, and proceeds directly support the operating costs of the IAHC.

July 14 and 15, the Colorado Irish Festival in Littleton, Colorado takes place. It features a feis, Gaelic Games, pipe bands, a cultural village and Irish crafts and knitwear. The festival features no less than three stages crammed with music and song. Scheduled artists include the gifted Eileen Ivers, the Makem and Spain Brothers and Enter the Haggis.

On August 3-5 is the Dublin Irish Festival, but this time in Dublin, Ohio. An anniversary to remember is shaping up when the festival, now celebrating its 20th year, has dance and music ignite on seven stages featuring returning favorites and fresh, young artists. From reunion tribute bands to world debut dancers to a mix of symphonic and Celtic rock, this festival is the hottest ticket this summer.

"We're making the most of our anniversary weekend and our line up reflects it," Sandra Puskarcik, Festival director told the Irish Voice. "We've even extended festival hours opening earlier Friday and staying open later Sunday to make sure we do it right. Every day, every stage offers more entertainment value than ever before and Sunday is no exception," she added.

Irish bands slated to attend include Flogging Molly, Black 47, Gaelic Storm, Tommy Makem, Celtic Tenors, Armagh Rhymers and Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul.

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As the Irish people have a genuine sense of fun, Irish entertainment can be found in every town, village, city and county. One of the most popular forms is the festival, which is used to celebrate all sorts of occasions &emdash; everything from literary pursuits to a love of oysters. Here are a few highlights of entertainment in Ireland throughout the year: Londonderry boasts the biggest Halloween Festival in the world with around 30,000 celebrating the ancient Celtic New Year every October. Grab a dodgy mask and join the party! / The Belfast Festival at Queen’s is Ireland’s biggest International Festival and boasts an eclectic mix of music, talks, comedy, exhibitions and film. / The Galway Races, the Rose of Tralee Festival, Puck Fair in Killorglin, and the Oul’ Lammas Fair in Ballycastle are world famous and offer a great chance to enjoy Irish entertainment, life and laughs with the locals. / Food festivals are now a big draw in Ireland with local produce scoring high among international foodies. Head to the famous oyster festivals in Clarenbridge in Galway, or Hillsborough, County Down. / Tune in to a spot of music with the Open House Festival in Belfast, the Waterford International Festival of Light Opera, or the Feile an Phobail in west Belfast. Or grab a pint and tap your feet to some cool tunes at the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival. / If you prefer your festivals small and intimate, try the harp festivals in Roscommon or the rough and ready horse and pony fairs from Cavan to Cork. Even today, the horses are priced in guineas, and bought and sold with a spit in the hand. / At the other end of the scale of entertainment in Ireland lies the Wexford Opera Festival with full-scale opera productions, concerts, recitals, talks, cabaret, fireworks, and, of course, parties. / For something a little different, try the Magnus Barelegs Festival in Downpatrick offering a slice of Viking life, or the Eagle Wing Festival in Groomsport, County Down, which celebrates Ireland’s cultural links with America. / Theater fans should head to Dublin for both the Dublin Theatre Festival and the excellent Dublin Fringe Festival, with wildly exciting performances taking place in fabulous venues. / Around March 17, the country turns a shade of green for a host of St Patrick’s Festivals. All over the country, from the Saint’s hallowed burial place in Downpatrick to the more carnival atmosphere of parades and exceptional fireworks in Dublin and Belfast. / Literary lovers should head to Dublin in June for the intriguing Bloomsday Festival, where fans of Joyce’s Gargantuan Ulysses dress up in traditional gear and scoff old Dublin food like “nutty gizzards” and “urine-soaked kidneys”. Alternatively, seek out the delights of the Aspects Literature Festival in Bangor in September, an annual celebration of Irish literature with lectures, discussion and music. But festivals are just one aspect of Irish entertainment—let's not forget about music! From impromptu sessions in your local bar to the thrilling beat of U2, Ireland has always been home to the best sounds of music. Ireland’s massive successes in the Irish entertainment world include some bands and artists you may have heard of…U2, The Corrs, Enya, Westlife, Snow Patrol, Ash, David Holmes, Van Morrison and The Thrills, to name just a few. Unique and distinctive, the harp holds a special place in Irish entertainment and has come to symbolize the harmony of people and music in Ireland. It’s the earliest musical instrument mentioned in Irish literature and has been used as an official emblem for Ireland since medieval times. Today, it’s on Irish passports and stamps. But there's more: Fleadhs, or festivals, are a major part of Irish entertainment as well as cultural life, and impromptu trad sessions have become the stuff of legend at West Belfast’s Feile an Phobail, the Galway Racing Festival or Kerry’s Puck Fair. Rock and dance music festivals are also big news with the Oxegen Festival, Tennents Vital Belfast and the Electric Picnic held in summer.

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