Albert Dunne Suzuki Car Sales 17th Athy Bluegrass Music Festival

'No, I can't set down, 'cause I just got to Heaven...'; the Carlton Abbey Hotel, Athy, Co. Kildare, main venue for the Festival

The ABMA reports:

After seventeen years, many different venues, and some great bands, 2007 will go down as a landmark in the history of the Athy Bluegrass Festival. All the components that make a great festival came together this year.


Pickin' and socialising in the hotel plaza

From Thursday night to Sunday afternoon we had excellent concerts in a beautiful venue (the Carlton Abbey Hotel), all bands in top form, a great sound system, and fantastic audiences. We had late night/early morning pickin’ sessions, afternoon pickin’ sessions, and a well attended gig trail at five different locations.


Tom Mindte of the Partners

Headline bands the Patuxent Partners (USA) and Red Wine (Italy) gave outstanding performances during the weekend, with Gary Ferguson and Dave Miner putting on a really great performance in their Friday concert spot and a full-length show on Saturday afternoon in the hotel bar.


Dave Miner

All the Irish bands done us proud and showed how much the music has grown here in the past twenty years. To the Tennessee Hennessees, the Niall Toner Band, Woodbine, the Sullivan Brothers, Tin Box Company, Acoustic Grass, Northern Exposure - well done. Last but by no means least, well done to our MC, Richard Hawkins, who did a powerful job and run each concert with precision and a nice bit of wit.

Athy Bluegrass Music Association wish to thank the bluegrass fans from all over the country for again supporting us, and we look forward to 2008 when the Special Consensus from Chicago will be one of the headline bands.

Tony O'Brien & Robert Chanders, ABMA


Bryan Deere of the Partners and Paul McEvoy of Tin Box Co.


Barney Bowes of Tin Box Co. Photo credits: Breda Bowes