This article is from page 37 of the 2009-06-30 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 37 JPG
WHEN it was announced that the Eigse Mrs Crotty Festival would not go ahead, it was thought that the fes- tival atmosphere during the August weekend would be lost to the west Clare capital for this year at best.
The festival has brought visitors from all over the world to Kilrush for the last 13 years and, just as impor- tantly, has brought a huge injection to the local economy.
While the festival that celebrated the talents of the concertina-player may not be going ahead, a new week- end of music and set dancing will take its place from August 14-16.
The weekend of craic and ceoil will provide not only entertainment for far-flung travellers who organise their summer holidays around this weekend, but will bring workshops and a festival feel to the town centre.
It was the local Inis Cathaigh Com- haltas Ceoltoiri Eireann Branch that decided to organise the music and set-dancing weekend to fill the Eigse gap.
Plans are already in place for an open-air céili in the Square, with bands such as Johnny Reidy, The Four Courts and the Five Counties.
Set dancing and sean nos workshops will be conducted by Mary Clancy and Aidrian Vaughan and there will
be traditional concerts with local and visiting artists in the Teach Cheoil on the Saturday night.
The new festival will not be con- fined to the town centre, however. On Sunday, the Vandeleur Walled Gardens will play host to Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann Inis Cathaigh Cill Ruis. There will also be traditional music in the pubs throughout the weekend.
Last year was the 13th Eigse Mrs Crotty Festival in Kilrush.
This festival was a five-day cel- ebration of Elizabeth Crotty who, at her death in 1960, was recognised as Ireland’s most famous concertina eNioe
Born Elizabeth Markham in 1885 near Cooraclare, Mrs Crotty, was the youngest of the large Markham VOOUE As
She married Miko Crotty and to- gether they established Crotty’s Pub- lic House in the Square, Kilrush.
It was from this House of Music that Elizabeth Crotty’s reputation quietly grew. Ciaran MacMathtna’s first excursion to rural Ireland in 1950’s with RTE’s mobile unit was to record her talent for the very first mbeelee
The festival celebrating her legacy has grown steadily since the first weekend of music in 1995.