A variety of artists will descend on Erris during the July for the 17th International Folks Arts festival, Féile Iorras. There is a diverse range of events to suit every taste and age group, incorporating every inch of the Barony of Erris. This year’s array of music, artists, and performers is in the final stage of completion and includes Tumbling Bones – American folk and old-time from the USA, Beoga who give a distinctly Northern flavour to Irish trad, international children’s films, Za Ucha with the finest Balkan music, Northumberland Celtic Ranters from England, and Iorras’s own David Munnelly Band. There will also be a 25 minute documentary by Blacksod native Fergus Sweeney, Keepers of the Light, poetry reading, local musicians performing a trad seisiún in Tra Buí, not forgetting children’s international cinema and Branar Theatre with a puppet show, Clann Lir,. The visual arts will be well represented by Diarmuid O Riordan’s exhibition of photographs which will be held at Áras Inis Gluaire and will open on Friday, July 13.
Venues for the festival will be all over northwest Mayo – from the four corners of Erris, Ionad Deirbhle in Eachléim to Trá Buí in Doohoma, Glenamoy to Ballycroy, will stage the various events. This serves the main aims of Féile Iorrais – which is to promote integration and understanding between the people of Erris and communities throughout the globe.
Féile Iorrais 2012 begins on Friday, July 13, and continues through to Saturday, July 21. Admission to some of the concerts, and to all of the workshops, costs nothing but time. Bookings are required for the workshops call 097 81079. To find out more about Féile Iorrais, log onto www.feileiorrais.org, email [email protected] or call 097 81079. Event details can also be found on www.errisevents.com The finalised programme will be available shortly and will be available throughout Erris.
