I was going to give the ‘Bravest Man in Ireland’ accolade to Ramie Leahy, but I think I’ll make it a joint award and include his son Enda. Ramie has long held the notion of hosting a big music event at his Dysart Castle venue and the dream is about to be realised on August 8 and 9.
It takes guts and a lot of money to take on the big guns such as MCD and Aiken Promotions. They have most of the major international acts tied up, so it was always going to be difficult for a new promoter to attract a quality line up for a new event.
So, against all the odds, they’ve come up with a top class list of artists for the two days, with the emphasis on quality and an entertaining day out.
The Jools Holland Orchestra, The Blind Boys Of Alabama, and John Martyn are the names that should attract the crowds on the Saturday. Ramie must have used all his powers of persuasion to secure Katherine Jenkins, accompanied by a 34-piece orchestra, for the headline slot on Sunday. She’s currently one of the hottest tickets on the British music scene, taking over the mantle that Charlotte Church previously held. The big boys must be scratching their heads wondering how they let this one slip past them.
Is it a good idea to run Dysart at the same time as the arts festival? Time will tell, but, hopefully they will complement each other. Provided there’s any sort of decent weather it should be a winner.
