TULLAMORE TRADFEST 2024 - March 22nd to 24th
Prepare to be swept away by a wave of jigs and reels as Tullamore TradFest takes over Tullamore once again from March 22nd to 24th! The Tullamore based festival with its central midlands location and dedication to showcasing the very best of traditional Irish music, is growing year on year acting as the ideal destination for both traditional music enthusiasts and late-night revellers alike. This year’s festival promises a weekend filled with unforgettable performances, concerts, festival club, recitals, lively céilí dancing, free family entertainment and an array of already sold-out instrumental workshops.
Organizers are thrilled to announce the legendary Four Men & A Dog as the headliners for the Main Concert on Friday night at The Bridge House Hotel. Festival Organiser, AnnMarie Kearns, expressed her excitement, saying, "Four Men & A Dog have been a traditional music powerhouse for over three decades since coming together in 1991. With 7 albums recorded, high energy performances that blend traditional with a touch of rap, rock and roll and blues, they have captivated audiences worldwide and we are expecting an electric night in Tullamore! “
Supporting acts on Friday night include a stellar lineup of festival tutors: Clara Mannion (concertina), Elle Marie O'Dwyer (vocals), Céin Sweeney (flute), Ademar O'Connor Stones (fiddle), and Fergus Bogue (accordion).
Saturday's Early Concert at The Bridge House Tullamore features the reigning All Ireland Senior Céilí Band Champions, 'Pipers Cross Céilí Band.' Festival Organiser Ciara McKeogh, notes, "Their sit-down concert will showcase the band's dynamic céilí tunes, combined with soulful singing and sean nós dancing, making it an unmissable experience for all. This is a family friendly concert that begins at 5:00 pm, and offers a ticket that gets the whole family in to enjoy at just €25”
The Festival Club on Saturday night boasts a double-bill headline with SUPERCÉILÍ and a performance by Greta Curtin (concertina), Jessie Healy (fiddle), and Eoin Murphy (guitar). Festival Organiser, Claire Guinan hints there may be a few surprises to this line-up yet, stating, "We can’t wait to have SUPERCÉILÍ along with Greta, Jessie and Eoin but the full line-up may not finish at that, there may be a few additional surprises in store for our Festival Club attendees, so get your tickets quick as this is our most popular concert and has sold out in the last few years."
Sunday sees the introduction of a new addition with a céilí by Rise The Dust, inviting set dancing enthusiasts to join in the weekend’s fun. The céilí takes place from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm again at The Bridge House Hotel. Tickets are €10, available at the door (cash only).
In addition to the aforementioned musical extravaganzas, the festival offers instrumental workshops on Saturday morning at Coláiste Choilm. However, due to overwhelming demand, all workshops are already SOLD OUT, reflecting the enthusiasm for the educational aspect of Tullamore TradFest. Festival Organiser, Sineád Durkan notes, “We launched our workshops before Christmas hoping that they might act as a stocking filler, but they have exceeded all expectations and are all sold out including the additional workshops we added due to demand. There are over 200 participants coming to our workshops from all over Ireland and even abroad, varying in age from 7 right up to 70!
According to Sinéad, "Tullamore TradFest is a celebration of our rich musical heritage not just in Offaly but Ireland and beyond. We again have an overwhelming response from the traditional music community that reinforces the importance of preserving and promoting our musical traditions and culture. We would like once again to thank the local community in Tullamore who are so supportive of the TradFest weekend and we look forward to welcoming everyone, be they locals or those from farther afield for a weekend of fun, camaraderie, and the very best of Irish music. See you in March!”
Running in parallel to all these events are three days of Session Trail and two days of free family entertainment in the Bridge Shopping Centre (Saturday & Sunday) and on the Gig Rig in O’Connor Square (Sunday). These events comprise of taster experiences for young and not so young and also feature performances from the local and visiting musicians and dancers. Committee member James Hogan notes, “Tullamore TradFest is a festival for everyone, whether you’re a traditional music fanatic or just someone only dipping their toes in the scene for the first time. We are very proud of the strong traditional music heritage we have in Offaly and not only want to show it off, but also want to see the traditional music scene grow and that can only happen by getting new people involved all the time. Some of those that participate in the taster experiences such as ‘Try An Instrument’ or ‘Trad 4 Tots’ this year may very well be the people that are driving this festival on in 10 or 20 years’ time.” Fellow organiser Michael Buckley added, “Between the free family entertainment and the Session Trail there is about 150 hours of free entertainment for everyone to enjoy. We have 15 venues and over 70 of the very best national and international musicians visiting Tullamore. This is on top of the countless local musicians from Offaly and the greater midlands area. Tullamore will be hopping with the best of traditional music, song and dance on the TradFest weekend”.
Of course an event of this size does not just happen without a lot of support. Festival organiser Denise Lowery concludes, “We are indebted to the local community who have been so supportive of our festival since it’s inception in 2019. We have had a rollercoaster journey of extreme highs and some sad lows in the last 6 years but everyone has remained steadfast in their support from our musician friends, general public, the local venues and vintners to our generous supporters and sponsors with particular mention to Bord na Mona, the Arts Council of Ireland, the Ashling Murphy Memorial Fund, Tullamore Credit Union and of course Offaly Co Council.”
For more information and to secure your tickets, visit www.tullamoretradfest.com.
Follow us on our social media channels
Facebook / Instagram / TikTok - @tullamoretradfest
Prepare to be swept away by a wave of jigs and reels as Tullamore TradFest takes over Tullamore once again from March 22nd to 24th! The Tullamore based festival with its central midlands location and dedication to showcasing the very best of traditional Irish music, is growing year on year acting as the ideal destination for both traditional music enthusiasts and late-night revellers alike. This year’s festival promises a weekend filled with unforgettable performances, concerts, festival club, recitals, lively céilí dancing, free family entertainment and an array of already sold-out instrumental workshops.
Organizers are thrilled to announce the legendary Four Men & A Dog as the headliners for the Main Concert on Friday night at The Bridge House Hotel. Festival Organiser, AnnMarie Kearns, expressed her excitement, saying, "Four Men & A Dog have been a traditional music powerhouse for over three decades since coming together in 1991. With 7 albums recorded, high energy performances that blend traditional with a touch of rap, rock and roll and blues, they have captivated audiences worldwide and we are expecting an electric night in Tullamore! “
Supporting acts on Friday night include a stellar lineup of festival tutors: Clara Mannion (concertina), Elle Marie O'Dwyer (vocals), Céin Sweeney (flute), Ademar O'Connor Stones (fiddle), and Fergus Bogue (accordion).
Saturday's Early Concert at The Bridge House Tullamore features the reigning All Ireland Senior Céilí Band Champions, 'Pipers Cross Céilí Band.' Festival Organiser Ciara McKeogh, notes, "Their sit-down concert will showcase the band's dynamic céilí tunes, combined with soulful singing and sean nós dancing, making it an unmissable experience for all. This is a family friendly concert that begins at 5:00 pm, and offers a ticket that gets the whole family in to enjoy at just €25”
The Festival Club on Saturday night boasts a double-bill headline with SUPERCÉILÍ and a performance by Greta Curtin (concertina), Jessie Healy (fiddle), and Eoin Murphy (guitar). Festival Organiser, Claire Guinan hints there may be a few surprises to this line-up yet, stating, "We can’t wait to have SUPERCÉILÍ along with Greta, Jessie and Eoin but the full line-up may not finish at that, there may be a few additional surprises in store for our Festival Club attendees, so get your tickets quick as this is our most popular concert and has sold out in the last few years."
Sunday sees the introduction of a new addition with a céilí by Rise The Dust, inviting set dancing enthusiasts to join in the weekend’s fun. The céilí takes place from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm again at The Bridge House Hotel. Tickets are €10, available at the door (cash only).
In addition to the aforementioned musical extravaganzas, the festival offers instrumental workshops on Saturday morning at Coláiste Choilm. However, due to overwhelming demand, all workshops are already SOLD OUT, reflecting the enthusiasm for the educational aspect of Tullamore TradFest. Festival Organiser, Sineád Durkan notes, “We launched our workshops before Christmas hoping that they might act as a stocking filler, but they have exceeded all expectations and are all sold out including the additional workshops we added due to demand. There are over 200 participants coming to our workshops from all over Ireland and even abroad, varying in age from 7 right up to 70!
According to Sinéad, "Tullamore TradFest is a celebration of our rich musical heritage not just in Offaly but Ireland and beyond. We again have an overwhelming response from the traditional music community that reinforces the importance of preserving and promoting our musical traditions and culture. We would like once again to thank the local community in Tullamore who are so supportive of the TradFest weekend and we look forward to welcoming everyone, be they locals or those from farther afield for a weekend of fun, camaraderie, and the very best of Irish music. See you in March!”
Running in parallel to all these events are three days of Session Trail and two days of free family entertainment in the Bridge Shopping Centre (Saturday & Sunday) and on the Gig Rig in O’Connor Square (Sunday). These events comprise of taster experiences for young and not so young and also feature performances from the local and visiting musicians and dancers. Committee member James Hogan notes, “Tullamore TradFest is a festival for everyone, whether you’re a traditional music fanatic or just someone only dipping their toes in the scene for the first time. We are very proud of the strong traditional music heritage we have in Offaly and not only want to show it off, but also want to see the traditional music scene grow and that can only happen by getting new people involved all the time. Some of those that participate in the taster experiences such as ‘Try An Instrument’ or ‘Trad 4 Tots’ this year may very well be the people that are driving this festival on in 10 or 20 years’ time.” Fellow organiser Michael Buckley added, “Between the free family entertainment and the Session Trail there is about 150 hours of free entertainment for everyone to enjoy. We have 15 venues and over 70 of the very best national and international musicians visiting Tullamore. This is on top of the countless local musicians from Offaly and the greater midlands area. Tullamore will be hopping with the best of traditional music, song and dance on the TradFest weekend”.
Of course an event of this size does not just happen without a lot of support. Festival organiser Denise Lowery concludes, “We are indebted to the local community who have been so supportive of our festival since it’s inception in 2019. We have had a rollercoaster journey of extreme highs and some sad lows in the last 6 years but everyone has remained steadfast in their support from our musician friends, general public, the local venues and vintners to our generous supporters and sponsors with particular mention to Bord na Mona, the Arts Council of Ireland, the Ashling Murphy Memorial Fund, Tullamore Credit Union and of course Offaly Co Council.”
For more information and to secure your tickets, visit www.tullamoretradfest.com.
Follow us on our social media channels
Facebook / Instagram / TikTok - @tullamoretradfest
TULLAMORE TRADFEST 2024 - March 22nd to 24th
Prepare to be swept away by a wave of jigs and reels as Tullamore TradFest takes over Tullamore
once again from March 22nd to 24th! The Tullamore based festival with its central midlands location
and dedication to showcasing the very best of traditional Irish music, is growing year on year acting
as the ideal destination for both traditional music enthusiasts and late-night revellers alike. This
year’s festival promises a weekend filled with unforgettable performances, concerts, festival club,
recitals, lively céilí dancing, free family entertainment and an array of already sold-out instrumental
workshops.
Organizers are thrilled to announce the legendary Four Men & A Dog as the headliners for the Main
Concert on Friday night at The Bridge House Hotel. Festival Organiser, AnnMarie Kearns, expressed
her excitement, saying, "Four Men & A Dog have been a traditional music powerhouse for over three
decades since coming together in 1991. With 7 albums recorded, high energy performances that
blend traditional with a touch of rap, rock and roll and blues, they have captivated audiences
worldwide and we are expecting an electric night in Tullamore! “
Supporting acts on Friday night include a stellar lineup of festival tutors: Clara Mannion (concertina),
Elle Marie O'Dwyer (vocals), Céin Sweeney (flute), Ademar O'Connor Stones (fiddle), and Fergus
Bogue (accordion).
Saturday's Early Concert at The Bridge House Tullamore features the reigning All Ireland Senior Céilí
Band Champions, 'Pipers Cross Céilí Band.' Festival Organiser Ciara McKeogh, notes, "Their sit-down
concert will showcase the band's dynamic céilí tunes, combined with soulful singing and sean nós
dancing, making it an unmissable experience for all. This is a family friendly concert that begins at
5:00 pm, and offers a ticket that gets the whole family in to enjoy at just €25”
The Festival Club on Saturday night boasts a double-bill headline with SUPERCÉILÍ and a performance
by Greta Curtin (concertina), Jessie Healy (fiddle), and Eoin Murphy (guitar). Festival Organiser, Claire
Guinan hints there may be a few surprises to this line-up yet, stating, "We can’t wait to have
SUPERCÉILÍ along with Greta, Jessie and Eoin but the full line-up may not finish at that, there may be
a few additional surprises in store for our Festival Club attendees, so get your tickets quick as this is
our most popular concert and has sold out in the last few years."
Sunday sees the introduction of a new addition with a céilí by Rise The Dust, inviting set dancing
enthusiasts to join in the weekend’s fun. The céilí takes place from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm again at The
Bridge House Hotel. Tickets are €10, available at the door (cash only).
In addition to the aforementioned musical extravaganzas, the festival offers instrumental workshops
on Saturday morning at Coláiste Choilm. However, due to overwhelming demand, all workshops are
already SOLD OUT, reflecting the enthusiasm for the educational aspect of Tullamore TradFest.
Festival Organiser, Sineád Durkan notes, “We launched our workshops before Christmas hoping that
they might act as a stocking filler, but they have exceeded all expectations and are all sold out
including the additional workshops we added due to demand. There are over 200 participants
coming to our workshops from all over Ireland and even abroad, varying in age from 7 right up to 70!
According to Sinéad, "Tullamore TradFest is a celebration of our rich musical heritage not just in
Offaly but Ireland and beyond. We again have an overwhelming response from the traditional music
community that reinforces the importance of preserving and promoting our musical traditions and
culture. We would like once again to thank the local community in Tullamore who are so supportive
of the TradFest weekend and we look forward to welcoming everyone, be they locals or those from
farther afield for a weekend of fun, camaraderie, and the very best of Irish music. See you in March!”
Running in parallel to all these events are three days of Session Trail and two days of free family
entertainment in the Bridge Shopping Centre (Saturday & Sunday) and on the Gig Rig in O’Connor
Square (Sunday). These events comprise of taster experiences for young and not so young and also
feature performances from the local and visiting musicians and dancers. Committee member James
Hogan notes, “Tullamore TradFest is a festival for everyone, whether you’re a traditional music
fanatic or just someone only dipping their toes in the scene for the first time. We are very proud of
the strong traditional music heritage we have in Offaly and not only want to show it off, but also
want to see the traditional music scene grow and that can only happen by getting new people
involved all the time. Some of those that participate in the taster experiences such as ‘Try An
Instrument’ or ‘Trad 4 Tots’ this year may very well be the people that are driving this festival on in
10 or 20 years’ time.” Fellow organiser Michael Buckley added, “Between the free family
entertainment and the Session Trail there is about 150 hours of free entertainment for everyone to
enjoy. We have 15 venues and over 70 of the very best national and international musicians visiting
Tullamore. This is on top of the countless local musicians from Offaly and the greater midlands area.
Tullamore will be hopping with the best of traditional music, song and dance on the TradFest
weekend”.
Of course an event of this size does not just happen without a lot of support. Festival organiser
Denise Lowery concludes, “We are indebted to the local community who have been so supportive of
our festival since it’s inception in 2019. We have had a rollercoaster journey of extreme highs and
some sad lows in the last 6 years but everyone has remained steadfast in their support from our
musician friends, general public, the local venues and vintners to our generous supporters and
sponsors with particular mention to Bord na Mona, the Arts Council of Ireland, the Ashling Murphy
Memorial Fund, Tullamore Credit Union and of course Offaly Co Council.”
For more information and to secure your tickets, visit www.tullamoretradfest.com.
Follow us on our social media channels
Facebook / Instagram / TikTok - @tullamoretradfest
Prepare to be swept away by a wave of jigs and reels as Tullamore TradFest takes over Tullamore
once again from March 22nd to 24th! The Tullamore based festival with its central midlands location
and dedication to showcasing the very best of traditional Irish music, is growing year on year acting
as the ideal destination for both traditional music enthusiasts and late-night revellers alike. This
year’s festival promises a weekend filled with unforgettable performances, concerts, festival club,
recitals, lively céilí dancing, free family entertainment and an array of already sold-out instrumental
workshops.
Organizers are thrilled to announce the legendary Four Men & A Dog as the headliners for the Main
Concert on Friday night at The Bridge House Hotel. Festival Organiser, AnnMarie Kearns, expressed
her excitement, saying, "Four Men & A Dog have been a traditional music powerhouse for over three
decades since coming together in 1991. With 7 albums recorded, high energy performances that
blend traditional with a touch of rap, rock and roll and blues, they have captivated audiences
worldwide and we are expecting an electric night in Tullamore! “
Supporting acts on Friday night include a stellar lineup of festival tutors: Clara Mannion (concertina),
Elle Marie O'Dwyer (vocals), Céin Sweeney (flute), Ademar O'Connor Stones (fiddle), and Fergus
Bogue (accordion).
Saturday's Early Concert at The Bridge House Tullamore features the reigning All Ireland Senior Céilí
Band Champions, 'Pipers Cross Céilí Band.' Festival Organiser Ciara McKeogh, notes, "Their sit-down
concert will showcase the band's dynamic céilí tunes, combined with soulful singing and sean nós
dancing, making it an unmissable experience for all. This is a family friendly concert that begins at
5:00 pm, and offers a ticket that gets the whole family in to enjoy at just €25”
The Festival Club on Saturday night boasts a double-bill headline with SUPERCÉILÍ and a performance
by Greta Curtin (concertina), Jessie Healy (fiddle), and Eoin Murphy (guitar). Festival Organiser, Claire
Guinan hints there may be a few surprises to this line-up yet, stating, "We can’t wait to have
SUPERCÉILÍ along with Greta, Jessie and Eoin but the full line-up may not finish at that, there may be
a few additional surprises in store for our Festival Club attendees, so get your tickets quick as this is
our most popular concert and has sold out in the last few years."
Sunday sees the introduction of a new addition with a céilí by Rise The Dust, inviting set dancing
enthusiasts to join in the weekend’s fun. The céilí takes place from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm again at The
Bridge House Hotel. Tickets are €10, available at the door (cash only).
In addition to the aforementioned musical extravaganzas, the festival offers instrumental workshops
on Saturday morning at Coláiste Choilm. However, due to overwhelming demand, all workshops are
already SOLD OUT, reflecting the enthusiasm for the educational aspect of Tullamore TradFest.
Festival Organiser, Sineád Durkan notes, “We launched our workshops before Christmas hoping that
they might act as a stocking filler, but they have exceeded all expectations and are all sold out
including the additional workshops we added due to demand. There are over 200 participants
coming to our workshops from all over Ireland and even abroad, varying in age from 7 right up to 70!
According to Sinéad, "Tullamore TradFest is a celebration of our rich musical heritage not just in
Offaly but Ireland and beyond. We again have an overwhelming response from the traditional music
community that reinforces the importance of preserving and promoting our musical traditions and
culture. We would like once again to thank the local community in Tullamore who are so supportive
of the TradFest weekend and we look forward to welcoming everyone, be they locals or those from
farther afield for a weekend of fun, camaraderie, and the very best of Irish music. See you in March!”
Running in parallel to all these events are three days of Session Trail and two days of free family
entertainment in the Bridge Shopping Centre (Saturday & Sunday) and on the Gig Rig in O’Connor
Square (Sunday). These events comprise of taster experiences for young and not so young and also
feature performances from the local and visiting musicians and dancers. Committee member James
Hogan notes, “Tullamore TradFest is a festival for everyone, whether you’re a traditional music
fanatic or just someone only dipping their toes in the scene for the first time. We are very proud of
the strong traditional music heritage we have in Offaly and not only want to show it off, but also
want to see the traditional music scene grow and that can only happen by getting new people
involved all the time. Some of those that participate in the taster experiences such as ‘Try An
Instrument’ or ‘Trad 4 Tots’ this year may very well be the people that are driving this festival on in
10 or 20 years’ time.” Fellow organiser Michael Buckley added, “Between the free family
entertainment and the Session Trail there is about 150 hours of free entertainment for everyone to
enjoy. We have 15 venues and over 70 of the very best national and international musicians visiting
Tullamore. This is on top of the countless local musicians from Offaly and the greater midlands area.
Tullamore will be hopping with the best of traditional music, song and dance on the TradFest
weekend”.
Of course an event of this size does not just happen without a lot of support. Festival organiser
Denise Lowery concludes, “We are indebted to the local community who have been so supportive of
our festival since it’s inception in 2019. We have had a rollercoaster journey of extreme highs and
some sad lows in the last 6 years but everyone has remained steadfast in their support from our
musician friends, general public, the local venues and vintners to our generous supporters and
sponsors with particular mention to Bord na Mona, the Arts Council of Ireland, the Ashling Murphy
Memorial Fund, Tullamore Credit Union and of course Offaly Co Council.”
For more information and to secure your tickets, visit www.tullamoretradfest.com.
Follow us on our social media channels
Facebook / Instagram / TikTok - @tullamoretradfest
