Are you going? One Tipperary town set to rock this weekend with MASSIVE music festival!

Country music star and Bansha native, Louise Morrissey, is guesting at the opening night of the Tipperary Town Music Festival which takes place from May 11-14.

I caught up with Louise in Tipp Town last week and took the opportunity to speak to her about her career and the upcoming festival. I began by asking her about when it all began for her in the music business.

“Actually Martin it’s a special year for me this year as I am celebrating 35 years in the country music scene. I started my band in 1988 and 35 years later I am still singing and performing. I am still loving it and happy and priveliged to be doing it. We are very busy and I have a concert tour coming up with some of my colleagues and friends from the music business and we are doing several concerts all around the country. I am also doing guest spots at different venues including the Tipperary Town Music Festival, which I am really excited about,” said the Bansha lass.

I then asked her about the festival and as to what she felt it would do for the area.

“It’s a long, long time since anything like this has happened in Tipperary Town and it is wonderful to have all these great artists coming to the town. I am delighted to be doing a guest spot with my good friend Cliona Hagan and you know there is something for everyone with different genres of music and it is a music festival for all. There is a great buzz about it and tickets are really flying out for the different nights. For such a lovely famous town, known all over the world, the town really does need a boost and I think that this festival will do that. It is going to bring people from other counties who will travel here for the festival and many are going to stay here in local B&B's and hotels. I see in the music business that people travel from various parts of the country to music venues and I have no doubt but that people will travel here to see some of the great artists on the programme,”said Louise.

I asked her about the impact of Covid on the music business and if it had recovered.

“Covid didn’t help the music business or indeed a lot of other businesses but thank God we are on the right side of it now. There is a whole new generation of people coming along to hear country music, and that is the younger generation, and particularly in the north of Ireland all the young people are following the country music scene. You need to attract new people to keep the business going and to keep the wheel turning. There is a big folk music revival also as can be seen with “The Tumbling Paddies” performing here on the Friday.”

Finally I asked Louise how important it was to keep promoting the country music scene and the local area.

“It is very important to keep promoting the scene and I am in a lucky position that I get to travel all over the country and I travel overseas to America, Newfoundland, England, Scotland and to some of the other European countries and I sing a lot of Tipperary songs. I love to promote my county and I always tell people about where I am from and about the beautiful Glen of Aherlow”.

“I would encourage everyone to come along to the Tipperary Town Music Festival and don’t be left dissapointed, outside the marquee looking in. Be inside and have fun and enjoy yourselves,” said Louise. The Tipperary Music Festival runs from Thursday May 11 to Sunday May 14 (inclusive).

Cliona Hagan will open the festival on Thursday with Louise Morrissey as special guest. The Tumbling Paddies are the Friday night attraction with the Abba Tribute Abbaesque on the Saturday night.

On the closing night Sunday it’s Mike Denver. Tickets are €20 per night available on www.tipperarytown.ie or contact John O’Brien on 087- 8253139.