FÉILE TRAIDPHICNIC, the community festival of traditional Irish music and culture, returns to An Spidéal this weekend, with concerts from Kíla, Zoë Conway and Johnny Óg Connolly, and Treasa Ní Cheannabháin.
The volunteer run festival opens tomorrow at 1.15pm with workshops in sean-nós dancing by Róisín Ní Mhannín and sean-nós singing with Sarah Ghriallais. Participants will joining their tutors onstage at the official opening at 3pm. From then, gigs run daily until 9pm tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday. Highlights are Zoë Conway, Johnny Óg Connolly, and John McIntyre (tomorrow, 7.30pm ), Kila (Saturday, 7.30pm ), and Ceillúradh Chomamara - a 'supergroup' featuring singer Lasairfhiona Ní Chonaola, Anna Falkenau, and others (Sunday, 6.30pm ).
Festival goers will be able to help artists create the 'Iontaisí an tSaoil/Living Wonders participative art installation, based on the poem 'Ar Cúl an Tí' by Seán Ó Riordáín. There will also be a shoreline discovery walk with marine biologist David McGrath and a talk with herbalist Sinead Keane.
There will also be workshops on Saturday and Sunday (registration opens at 10.30am at Studio Cuan ) including tin whistle with the great Mary Bergin; fiddle with Zoë Conway and Ultan O'Brien; bodhrán with Paul McClure (who will provide bodhráns for the class ); concertina with TG4 Young Musician of the year Liam O'Brien; accordion with Sharon Connell; sean-nós dancing with Gearóíd Ó Dubháin; sean-nós singing with Róisín Elsafty; and an all-instruments workshop with Tola Custy.
For more information see traidphicnic.com
