Countdown is on for Tullamore TradFest

With only five weeks to go until Tullamore TradFest 2022, preparations are in full swing for a packed weekend of the very best of traditional music, song, dance.

Tullamore TradFest 2019 enjoyed a huge level of support, both locally and nationally, getting the festival off to a great start. According to the TradFest committee this has been matched and superseded already as we head into this year’s festival, so expect the town to be alive with music and laughter this April.

“Ticket sales and workshop bookings are going very well. It is clear that there is great appetite to get back attending events like Tullamore TradFest again,” according to festival organiser Tommy Craven. “What is especially great to see from ticket sales is that our strong line-up of artists coupled with Tullamore’s central location appears to be the perfect place for friends from all over to meet up as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The TradFest weekend (April 8 to 10) is set to get off to an action-packed start with a live broadcast from the Bridge House Hotel foyer by Midlands 103. This will be followed by the main concert which features the 7-piece Téada band including Samantha Harvey and Seamus Begley. They are supported on the night by Ryan Molloy, Orlaith & Brogan McAuliffe and Frances Kennedy.

There will also be a special presentation on the night to Offaly’s own Ellen Comerford Flanagan for her outstanding contribution to traditional music locally and nationally. Ellen was the first female to win the All Ireland Senior Accordion title, a member of The Bridge and Escir Riada Ceilí Bands and passed on her music teaching hundreds if not thousands of young musicians over the years.

Saturday night sees the TradFest Festival Club back upstairs in Fergie’s Bar where Damien Mullane, whose high-octane performance enthralled revellers in 2019, returns this year along with Sean O’Meara (guitar) and Karen Hickey (fiddle). They are supported on the night by local band Splendid Isolation, which comprises of Seán Bourke, Michael Buckley and Ciarán Cooney. Please note that there are only a small number of tickets remaining for this event.

The TradFest ‘Monster Session Trail’ also returns this year with more venues than ever in the town hosting the very best of traditional music sessions featuring the cream of the local and national visiting musicians.

This year’s festival will also be a very poignant event as local musician and friend of the festival, Ashling Murphy will not be present. Ashling was an integral part of the traditional music scene not just in Offaly, but nationally through her involvement with the National Folk Orchestra and Comhaltas Touring Groups. She was a much-admired, respected, treasured musician and friend to many. Tullamore TradFest 2022 will culminate with a concert in the Tullamore Court Hotel where her life and music will be remembered and celebrated.

Festival organiser James Hogan added: “It didn't matter how well you knew Ashling, what you got from one meeting with her was how genuine and decent she was not only as a musician but as a person, always smiling, always welcoming. She will be terribly missed by so many people, and we are honoured to be able to remember her and celebrate her music.

“We have also modified our Tullamore TradFest logo for this year to reflect that, while we have a fun weekend of activities planned, Ashling and indeed her family and friends, are very much in our hearts and in our minds. Admission to this event is free but tickets must be reserved in advance. The remaining tickets for this concert will go live on the festival website www.tullamoretradfest.com next Wednesday, March 16 at 1pm.”

Tullamore TradFest takes place from April 8 to April 10. To purchase tickets please visit www.tullamoretradfest.com website.