Limerick Pipe Band heading to Celtic festival
Up to 750,000 people expected at week-long event in France
MEMBERS of a Limerick city pipe band will travel to France next week to play in a festival which is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people.
Twenty-three members of the City of Limerick Pipe Band, who practice in Our Lady Queen of Peace school in Janesboro on the city’s southside, will board the ferry to Lorient for the Interceltic Festival.
They will join 5,000 other musicians from Ireland, Scotland, France, Spain and other Celtic nations across the world.
The event is expected to draw up to 750,000 people to western France.
City of Limerick Pipe Band chairman Brian Tuite explained how members of the group will travel as part of a Munster-wide delegation of 40 musicians.
It’s the first time in 15 years the Liemrick flag will be flown at the Interceltic Festival.
“When we agreed, we didn't quite realise how big it is. Then we saw the itineraries. There are stadium gigs people pay to go in and watch. It’s an awful lot of pressure to learn a lot of stuff in about five weeks. We are really out of our comfort zone. But there are some lovely tunes, and it’s a great thing to be a part of,” he said.
Mr Tuite said his band are travelling in place of a group from Wexford, who have a world championship title to contest elsewhere.
He thanked the festival organisers who are funding their travel and expenses to France.