Launch of the 43rd O'Carolan Harp Festival and Summer School took place in Kilronan Castle

Held since 1978, the O'Carolan Harp Festival and Summer School 2023, Keadue, Co Roscommon, launch event took place on July 5 in Kilronan Castle, aiming to feature some of the very best in Irish traditional music, set and sean-nós dance & traditional singing. 

Traditionally, the festival takes place every August Bank holiday weekend and was initiated to commemorate world-renowned Harper and Composer Turlough O'Carolan, whose remains are interred in Kilronan Cemetery just outside Keadue. 

The festival will kick off with the O'Carolan Summer School on Monday, July 31, and is one of the longest-running and leading Harp and Traditional Music Festivals in Ireland, especially promoting harp music and the music of O'Carolan. 

Classes will be hosted throughout the village, with classes in Harp, Bodhran, tin whistle, set dancing and banjo taking place in the morning and classes in button accordion, fiddle, concertina, flute, traditional singing, beginners and advanced sean nós dancing taking place in the evening.

Registration for the Summer School is available online in advance through www.ocarolanharpfestival.ie.

For the 43rd time, the O'Carolan Country Céilí Band, who have been here from the start, will play at the céilí on Tuesday, August 1, followed by the lively Rise the Dust will play at the céilí on Friday night. 

The harp recital in Kilronan Castle highlights the second evening featuring their own local, award-winning and highly accomplished Keadue Harpers Fiachra Guihen and Emma Benson, who will be joined on the night by other local harpers playing a large repertoire of O'Carolan's pieces.

O'Carolan Harp Festival promises a great night of music and song on Thursday night, August 3, where the special Tutor's Concert takes place in St. Ronan's Hall. 

For any of you feeling energetic, Keadue Tidy Towns are running a 5km Fun Run/Walk on Friday evening, August 4, at 7.30 pm.

The festival continues to have competitors travel the globe to compete in the Arigna Fuels-sponsored O'Carolan International Harp competitions commencing from 10:30 am on Saturday, August 5. The audience in attendance is guaranteed to be captivated by the very high standard of competition, with many competitors having competed and achieved success at the All-Ireland Fleadhs in recent years.

To keep the young entertained, the local sports field committee is running a family fun day on Saturday, August 5, commencing at 2 pm. A brilliant day out for all the family is guaranteed with sports events, football in the all-weather pitch, bouncy castles and many other surprises.

Saturday night features "The Ballad of Mossy Flood", which is a play written and performed by the brilliant Seamus O'Rourke. Mossy has a knack for going a long way around a story; in doing so, he makes us laugh and examine ourselves in a way we haven't done before.

The festival's official launch will take place on Sunday, August 6, at 3.30 pm, preceded by the parade led by the Raheen Pipe Band from Elphin. The well-known playwright and novelist Michael Harding will perform at this year's opening.

On Sunday, GigRig by the fantastic Ox Mountain Trio featuring well-known musicians Stephen Doherty and David Doocey will join the festival, followed by the return of Siobhan O'Donnell and Cherish the Ladies back for the big concert in St. Ronan's Hall from 9 pm. 

Tickets will sell fast and are available from the festival website at www.ocarolanharpfestival.ie or by ringing 087 7745878.

A wreath-laying ceremony at O'Carolan's grave, followed by a lecture in the fabulous Kilronan Castle nearby, gets the concluding Monday underway. This year's lecture will be given by Daniel Curley, "The archaeology of the later medieval O'Kelly Lords of Uí Maine and Tír Maine with a focus on south Roscommon".

In the afternoon, on the Bank Holiday Monday Music at the Heritage Park begins at 3 pm with the multi-award-winning local CCE group. We then welcome back the hugely popular Paul Kelly and his band for a free open-air concert from the GigRig at 4.00 pm.

The festival will close with the international Door Dancing competition, which will see all styles of traditional Irish dance compete for the 2023 Junior and Senior Door Dancing Champion title. Keadue CCE, Compere perform music, and Senator Eugene Murphy will be there.

This conclusion night has always been one of the special and most memorable nights of the festival, where the music flows, the dancing is electric, and the feedback from the audience makes for a fitting way to end the festival.