Ireland's place in the bluegrass world

The January 2011 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited magazine carries the annual guide to bluegrass festivals; and in the 'Worldwide' section, we're pleased to note that Ireland again comes in the front rank outside North America - level with England, with five festivals listed, and ahead of the Czech Republic (three); Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Wales (two); and Australia, Belgium, Finland, France, Japan, Norway, and Spain (one each).

As the BIB has pointed out in the past (see our comment this time last year), the number of festivals whose organisers have entered them in the list bears little or no relation to the number actually held in the different countries - in the list for Ireland, for instance, neither our oldest nor our largest festivals appear. Nonetheless, the scene here is keeping in the front of things - thanks to the genuine efforts of our festival organisers who sent BU the details of their events.

Among the many other good things in this issue: 'A long expected party: Sore Fingers Summer School' by award-winning writer Chris Stuart, on the UK's instruction week which he describes as 'one of the best-run bluegrass and old-time music camps in the world'.