BIG READ: 'Let's bring Tipperary Town to a standstill with music rather than traffic'

Pictured above: Tipperary Festival Committee pictured at a recent meeting: Jack Leonard, John O'Brien, Eamonn Ryan (Chair), Sharon O'Dwyer and Stevie O'Donnell. Missing from photo is Stephen Ryan.

Tipperary Town is set to come alive with music for a 4 day period from Thursday May 11th to Sunday May 14th.

An ambitious programme of 4 days of non-stop music has been announced by the Tipperary Festival Committee to include some of the country's leading country music stars.

The music festival will happen live in the marquee at the Lidl Car Park and will allow people to enjoy music and dancing right in the centre of town.

Having been involved in past music festivals in my native Bansha I can well understand the enormity of the undertaking by the Tipperary Festival Committee.

It is great to see people willing to step forward to organise such an event and I am sure that it will be welcomed by young and older alike and is certain to be a major attraction for music lovers and dancers from a wide area.

I caught up with some of the committee at their recent meeting and I began by asking the Chair, Eamonn Ryan, about the background to the festival.

"It's a music festival for the town and we are going to make it one of the greatest of all time. We are delighted to have the use of the Lidl Carpark for the event, which is a big asset to the town.

"People might ask as to why we are having it there but it is the only suitable venue in the town for this and it is going to be a really big event.

"There wasn't anyone to take on the role of Chair so I said that for the sake of the festival I would take it on. We have a fantastic group of people on the committee and we are looking forward to a fantastic festival.

"The news of the festival has been received very very well and lots of people are enquiring about ticket sales and where tickets can be purchased etc.

"Lidl are allowing us to use the right hand side of the car park and we will erect a marquee on the site and there will be full facilities there with traffic management and plenty of room for parking. We are taking this on for three years, which is a major undertaking, but we believe that it will be a major success and a great event for Tipperary Town" said Eamonn.

One of the committee members is Jack Leonard, who is one of the key people and a founder member and past Chair of Tipperary Vintage Rally. I enquired from Jack as to why he was involved in this festival.

"Well the town needs this badly. This is something I have been thinking about for many years with music promoter John O'Brien.

"As you know my main involvement is with the South Tipp Hospice and it's what we have worked for every year since 2008 in Tipperary Vintage Rally. I am delighted to be invited and to be involved with this group who are here to promote Tipperary. Anyone who is involved in this committee is here to put Tipperary on the map and that is their only objective. The buzz about this festival is very evident and people can't wait for it.

"Without Eamonn Ryan pushing it this festival would just not happen. He was responsible for ensuring that we had Christmas lights in the town and he is one great man to have behind you.

"The Lidl venue is an ideal one for this event. We had looked at a couple of possible alternatives but this venue is absolutely ideal for the festival. We wanted to keep it in town as it is a central venue. There will be some traffic disruption but we will keep this to a minimum with proper traffic management.

"As you know if you go to a match or to a sporting event you will encounter some disruption and we hope on this occasion that we can keep disruption to a minimum.

"It's our first year being involved with a music festival but with the help of music promoter John O'Brien and the rest of the committee, we intend to make this an event that Tipperary will be proud of. It has the potential to be something major for the town and we need it badly.

"This town is suffering and we want to bring an event to the centre of the town which is accessible to everyone. It's a major gamble and a huge undertaking and we hope that if it is successful that we will be able to support some local charities from the proceeds.

"It is a chance for people to get out and enjoy themselves and we have ensured that the tickets are reasonably priced for the event.

"As you know Tipperary has suffered badly over the years and is encountering many difficulties including that of traffic congestion and what I would like to say is let's bring Tipperary Town to a standstill with music rather than traffic" said Jack.

The festival Chair (Eamonn Ryan) was anxious to dispel any rumours that this was a commercial event. "This event is definitely not a commercial event.

"It is a community effort with a voluntary committee and when I took on the job of Chair I brought together community people who were involved in different organisations and were willing to make this a success for the community.

"The Tipperary Festival Committee is a stand alone committee but it is a committee for the people without any individual commercial interest.

"We are here to run a community event that will be poistive for the town and for the people that live, work and visit here. It will also bring people to the town and hopefully it will encourage people to stay for 2/3 days and to sample local hospitality" said Eamonn.

Music promoter John O'Brien is part of the committee and he told me of their plans for the 4 days.

"We went for 4 different nights as we are hoping to attract different crowds for each of the artists. We are opening on Thursday May 11th with the fabulous Cliona Hagan and with our own Louise Morrissey as special guest.

"On Friday night we are going for The Tumbling Paddies to suit a younger crowd as they are very popular with them.

"Saturday night we are catering to the middle of the road audience with Abbaesque followed by a 90's disco and on the final night Sunday the 14th we have the great Mike Denver.

"It is a fabulous lineup and tickets are priced at €20 per night and are on sale now and online at www.tipperarytown.ie. If it is not sold out in advance there will be tickets available at the door but we are aiming to be sold out in advance" said John.

I asked Eamonn for a final quote for our readers and he said "It is going to be a brilliant event, best ever in Tipperary Town and an event not to be missed!".

Best wishes to the Tipperary Festival Committee on what promises to be a great 4 days of music in Tipperary Town.