Bunratty Bluegrass Festival, 9-10-11 Oct. 2015

Thanks to Brendan Walsh, director of the annual Shannonside Winter Music Weekend and leader of the Sixmilebridge Folk Club in Co. Clare, for this welcome news:

The former Bunratty Banjo Festival has evolved in its third year into a full-blown Bluegrass Festival. With intimate venues, great food, and easy access just off the N18, this event is well worth a visit. For the true bluegrass followers there are two concerts and a further two plugged-in concert/gigs. Friday night’s concert features a Swiss group called Maple Tree Circus and the Corn Potato String Band from the States. Saturday’s concert features The Grove Bluegrass Band (UK) and the New Breadwinners. Concerts are in the newly refurbished upstairs venue in Durty Nelly's.

The casual visitor can avail themselves of any of the twenty or more FREE 'fleadh-style' sessions in all the pubs over the weekend. These sessions will be a Mecca for visiting musicians who want to pick with the best! Sunday in Bunratty Folk Park features a 'Trad. meets Bluegrass' day, with eight scheduled sessions between noon and 5.00 p.m. These will be in venues in the Folk Park or in the open, weather permitting.

The weekend finishes upstairs in Nelly’s with a concert/gig featuring last year’s banjo festival favourites JigJam and the Galway-based Oldtown Rounders. Concert tickets only €10, payable at the door. General inquiries to Brendan at 086 8464509.

Thanks also to Brendan for a spreadsheet timetable; unfortunately the BIB can't reproduce it, but it shows a total of thirty-three events, six of them on the first evening beginning at 8.00 p.m. All events listed as sessions are unplugged and welcome support from visiting musicians.

NEWSFLASH: the Corn Potato String Band (USA) will be touring these islands in Sept.-Oct. 2015, and will be playing shows in Ireland from 6 Oct. to 14 Oct. Dates for those at present on the band's schedule are now on the BIB calendar, and we'll be publishing more information later.