The twentieth annual Rockfall Festival is about to hit almost every stage in Kilkenny over the October bank holiday weekend.
With over 22 gigs already on the schedule, almost every band and musician in Kilkenny is donating their talents to Enable Ireland.
Kicking off in The Pumphouse on October 23 and finishing with a monster all-day session in Kytelers Inn on Monday October 27, the festival promises to be jam-packed full of quality entertainment.
The festival started in 1989 with nine bands and one DJ in five Kilkenny venues. This year there will be 24 bands, five solo artists and 10 DJs in 17 different venues as well as a quiz night and special film screening.
The festival began as a fundraiser for the O'Neill Centre, a group close to the heart of festival organiser Eamon Cleere who gives up countless hours each year for the cause. Rockfall has a second purpose in that it has been, and remains to be a platform for local talent to showcase their ability to appreciative audiences all over the city.
"This is a festival that brings the talent together like no other festival in the city. It's a music festival almost entirely made up of Kilkenny musicians, bands and DJs. And what great talent we have here. If there were an All-Ireland for rock n' roll we would surely be champions of that too," said organiser Eamon Cleere
"It is the generosity and musicianship of these performers that has contributed to making Rockfall such a success. All perform free of charge with many musicians playing more than once over the weekend. Over the 20 years there has never been a 'no' when they have been asked to play at Rockfall. To these performers we will be forever grateful," he said.
Eamon is helped each year by a strong committee consisting of Rory Broderick, Sheila Ryan, Michael Morton, Malcolm Noonan, Canice Kennealy, Ken McGuire, Geoff Rose, Caroline Long, Barry Delaney and Andrew McGuinness.
All proceeds will go to the O'Neill Centre which provides therapy and special pre-school services to children who have a broad range of disabilities. All services are provided under one roof preventing families from travelling to several clinics and hospitals throughout Ireland.
