Music, fun and sunshine were winning formula for hugely successfulClancy Brothers Festival

Caption: Young musicians Roisin and Aisling Kelly performing at the Youth Busking Competition at the Clancy Brothers Music & Arts Festival in Carrick-on-Suir last Saturday. The competition took place at the Presentation Primary School’s Le Chéile outdoor education area. Pictures Anne Marie Magorrian 

Carrick-on-Suir celebrated its 16th Clancy Brothers Music & Arts Festival over the bank holiday weekend with an eclectic line up of folk music concerts, gigs and competitions and a packed programme of arts and community events.

The organising committee is hailing the festival a great success with well attended concerts at the Brewery Lane and Strand Theatres and the gorgeous summer weather ensuring a large turnout for the outdoor events that ranged from walks along the Blueway to a family fun day and open air painting contest.

Clancy Festival PRO Walter Dunphy said this year’s festival attracted visitors from as far as the US, England and Scotland who joined many locals in celebrating the legacy of the famous Clancy Brothers ballad group.

“It was a wonderful weekend and the weather was brilliant. We had a good few people over from America and England and also people with connections to Carrick-on-Suir came home for the festival, which is mainly enjoyed by local people,” he reported.

Walter said the festival’s opening concert at Brewery Lane Theatre that featured dancing from local World champion Irish dancer Aoibhe Twomey, singing and music from a host of local artists was sold out. So too was the Clancy Family concert at Brewery Lane on Friday night, which featured performances from talented relatives of the Clancy Brothers.

There was also a full house for the festival's headline Makem & Clancy concert starring Dónal Clancy and Rory Makem, sons of the late Liam Clancy and Tommy Maken, at the Strand Theatre on Saturday night.

Folk and traditional music busking on Carrick’s Main Street on Saturday and music gigs in many of the town’s pubs contributed to the festival atmosphere in the town.

The annual Eoghan Power folk singing competition was won by Gavin Paterson from Scotland. He beat off competition from seven other singers to win the Eoghan Power Memorial Trophy and €250 cash prize at the Old Mill last Thursday night. Ned Hanrahan was the second prize winner.

Walter said Gavin was a regular visitor to the festival. He is a folk music DJ and a big fan of the Clancy Brothers music.

The festival’s Youth Busking Competition took place in the Presentation Primary School’s new Le Chéile outdoor education area on Saturday afternoon.

Róisin and Aisling Kelly won the Best Duo category while Selah Johnson won the Best Instrumental category. The Best Vocals prize went to Jamie Lonergan while The Melody Makers won the Best Young Group competition. The Best Senior Group prize was awarded to The Busk-a-teers.

Other festival highlights included a family fun afternoon at the Fairgreen Car Park at Greenside that featured traditional crafts, face painting, a Mad Hatter magic show, cute pet animals from the Nore Valley Park Pet Farm and music from the Street Theatre Ceili Band.

Brewery Lane Drama Group’s lunchtime drama – The Tinker’s Wedding attracted full houses for each of its three performances while there was a big turnout to the festival’s walks and cycles with more than 200 taking part in the Blueway walk from Sean Healy Park to Dovehill on Sunday morning.

Check out more photos from last weekend's Clancy Brothers Festival in this week's edition of The Nationalist now on sale in local shops.