THE CLIFDEN Traditional Music Festival runs from Thursday April 4 to Sunday 7 throughout the town’s pub, hotels, and at a the stage in Market Square.
Coming to the festival are Maura Walsh, James Duggan, Graham Guerin, Lorna Davey-Fitzgerald, Brian Fitzgerald, Cian Kearins, Padraic Kerins, Josie and Una Canavan, Michael Curran, Teresa O’Grady, Declan Payne, Sacra Furey, and Daithí Gormley.
The CTMF opens on Thursday April 4 with The Gathering – Emigrant Musicians From Our Locality, a public lecture on musicians from the Clifden area who went abroad and played music. All are welcome and a music session takes place afterwards.
The official opening is on Friday 5 at 7pm in the Clifden Station House Hotel with Leo Hallissey, followed by a concert.
There will be pub sessions all weekend: Friday 5 - Lowrys and Guys Bar; Saturday 6, O’Malley’s Bar (2pm to 4pm ), EJ Kings Bar (4pm to 6pm ), Mannions, The Central, and Tom King’s Bar (night time ).
The festival highlight will be the free outdoor performance on Saturday April 6 at 7.30pm by Irish trad group Téada, with lead vocalist, the great Seamus Begley.
Saturday will see music workshops in button accordion, fiddle, concertina, and sean nós dance. Sunday starts at 11.30am with a traditional music Mass in St Joseph’s Church, followed by the ‘Farewell “One for the Road” Session’ in Foyles Hotel.
For more information see www.clifdentradfest.com
