As a perfect seasonal bookend to the flames of Uishneach, summer will be officially tucked away for another year on the grounds of Mount Druid only five miles away, when the Murphy family host the Green Village music and arts festival on September 24.
The one-day festival will offer a spectrum of entertainment from David McWilliams to matchmaking, with five music stages hosting everything from The Stunning to bluegrass, with a lick of electro soul in the boat house by the lake.
The one-day, family-orientated Green Village is the brainchild of Adrian and Deirdre Murphy, proprietors of that other well-known repository of Midlands culture - Days Bazaar bookstore in Mullingar - and will be held on the family land amid 200,000 native broadleaf trees, at the southern end of Lough Ennell, just a few miles off the M6, halfway between the R391 and the N52.
“The festival will celebrate the best of Irish community, with a one-day programme of contemporary and traditional music, old time dance, poetry and literature as well as children’s events,” said Adrian.
“During this harvest period in September we feel it’s an ideal time to also demonstrate traditional crafts and rural life. In addition we will be showcasing the best in local food all while spreading eco awareness among 200,000 native broadleaf trees.”
Along with the Mount Druid and Stables stages, the festival will include a a village hall, a spoken word stage, a youth café, a food and craft area, an eco village, and a children’s area.
“We hope to bring together local communities in a spirit of co-operation to work towards social and economic regeneration of the area, enable groups to show their work to the wider population and create an independent and transparent fund to benefit local charities and community groups,” said Adrian.
Adrian came to Westmeath over 20 years ago to marry local girl, Deirdre Killian from Ballagh, Mullingar, and they have six children. Adrian and Deirdre also offer a self-catering accommodation in their courtyard, or in luxuriously appointed yurts for the slightly more adventurous.
A ticket will cost €35, with a family admittance (two + two ) costing €89. Usual concessions apply, while children under 12, campervans, and camping for the Saturday night are all free. Tickets can be got from Ticketmaster, Days Bazaar, Dalys, and The Stables in Mullingar, and in Claffeys, Brennans, and Drakes in Castletown.
For more information log on to www.greenvillage.ie
