Festival: We’re almost ready for Spirit of Folk 2012
We’ve been gearing up for this for months and it’s only a few days to go now. Spirit of Folk, shortlisted in 2011 for ‘Best New Festival’ in the European Festival awards, returns this weekend (September 21st-23rd). Festival Organisers are eager to stress that the event is much more than your average music festival with an eccentric array of activities on offer all weekend to delight and entertain audiences. With Traditional Storytelling from Ireland’s best Seanachaí, Eddie Lenihan and Pat Speight, interactive Viking re-enactments, Falconry displays, Archery lessons, Battle Re-enactments and Wildlife Walks ran by the Wildlife Trust, Spirit of Folk promises to deliver to those seeking an alternative family weekend. Culch.ie’s own Peter Donegan will be giving a gardening talk on Saturday at 1.45pm so make sure to get along to that.
Folk music enthusiasts will not be disappointed either, with Irish folk legends John Spillane, Tír na nÓg and Jig Away the Donkey gracing the stage, as well as folk revivalists Lisa O’Neill, The Henry Girls and Spook of the Thirteenth Lock. The festival will also boast it’s first international act, with the Glastonbury folk-rock favourites ‘Treetop Flyers’ lending their sounds to the festivities.
In the Spirit of enriching folk, the festival will try it’s hand at original theatre this year with ‘The return of the Fianna’ a witty and original play by David Philips. In partnership with The Gaiety School of Acting, the play will be performed in ‘The Hall of Heroes’ at Spirit of Folk and will run on the Saturday and Sunday.
The ‘Hall of Heroes’, which has become known as the hub of SOF’s eccentricity will boast interactive activities such as ‘Blind Date’, a ‘Lovely Girl’s’ competition, ‘Spirit of Folk’s Got Talent’, Bingo and the now infamous ‘Setanta Challenge’. This will be the late night venue at Spirit of Folk and promises to live up to it’s reputation as the best fun you’ll ever have.
Weekend camping tickets start at €85. Day tickets cost €45, and children under 14 can go free. For more see: www.spiritoffolk.com. A full timetable and site map is embedded below:
BONUS! Check out Peter’s special edition of the Sodshow featuring Spirit of Folk 2012:
About the Author
Anto Helped to establish culch.ie way back in the before time. Interested in all things music, movies and games. Has a personal blog at http://www.anthonymcg.com