This article is from page 34 of the 2007-10-09 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 34 JPG
GORT is getting revved-up for the last big blow-out of the year as the clock ticks down to this year’s Cooley-Col- lins Traditional Music Festival.
The festival, which was officially launched in Kilroy’s last night, will this year celebrate its 23rd year by incorporating a number of new features. These new elements include a Comhra Gaeilge, street entertain- ment and a public wood-turning session.
“Our festival is the last big tradition- al music festival of the year. There are a lot of festivals on that weekend So we always need to be sure that we are keeping up our standards. For a lot of local people and musicians as
well, it’s the last really big blow-out of the year,” said festival organiser Mary Coen.
“The Comhra is very important to me because I have a great love of Irish. We have Martin Davy doing a Comhra in conjunction with the children in the new Gael scoil. The school has just opened in September SO we are keen to give it as much sup- port as we can.
“It will be simple enough Irish. They will pick a topic and have a dis- cussion about it. The whole lot will be through Irish but it will be noth- ing too difficult, it’s not anything to be afraid of.
“I saw the wood-turning being done at the launch of the Dr Douglas de Hide Festival and I thought it was
something different and interesting that we could do. It will be out in the Open air, weather permitting, but if not, we will just find an indoor venue for it.”
The festival, which commemorates famed musicians Joe Cooley and K1- eran Collins, will open on Friday, October 26, with a mass in Peter- swell followed by ceili at The Cooley Lodge with the Four Courts.
There are three other ceilis over the weekend featuring Kilbeacanty- Tulla, Kilfenora and the Copperplate Ceili Bands.
Registration for music workshops takes place at 10am on Saturday with classes available in button accordion, tin whistle, concertina, flute, fiddle and banjo.
“We really do need to acknowl- edge Guinness, they have been with us since day one. Also Udaras Na Gaeilteachta, Foras Na _ Gaeilge, the Arts Council, the Galway Arts Office, local businesses, Supermac’s and John Sullivan,” continued Mary.
“The local businesses are very good to us. It is a big boost, we have to go out to Kinvara, Clarinbridge and Barefield for beds. We are lucky, a lot of local people who wouldn’t normally do a B&B service oblige us and take people.”