castleisland’s patrick o’keeffe festival, not to be misssed!!
it’s a tribute to a great man, and check out whose comming to play 
edit: sorry, the webside’s not updated yet, but the festival is running this year aswell, i found this in the kerryman newpaer, but you have to register before you can read it, so i copied it/ http://www.unison.ie/kerryman/index.php3?ca=40&issue_id=11451
Legendary fiddler to be honoured at O’Keeffe fest
“The award is one we put in place a number of years ago to honour players and people who have been helpful to us as a festival organising committee or those who have made an outstanding contribution to the music and heritage of the Sliabh Luachra area,” said festival chairman, Cormac O’Mahony.
“The award is one we put in place a number of years ago to honour players and people who have been helpful to us as a festival organising committee or those who have made an outstanding contribution to the music and heritage of the Sliabh Luachra area,” said festival chairman, Cormac O’Mahony.
“We have been very lucky to have had the advice of these people at our disposal down through the years and it’s only proper that we express our appreciation in some way. There is a list of people who would qualify for the award but few would argue with our candidates over the past four or five years – they have all been great ambassadors for the area and it is something we intend to continue with over the years,” said Mr. O’Mahony.
Other festival news includes reports that famous piping legend Paddy Keenan has Castleisland in his sights this year and that Sliabh Notes make a welcome return as concert headliners. Festival founder Peter Browne will have the pipes in tow and will play in the concert with Gerry Harrington. Dessie O’Halloran is setting sail from Inishbofin with cousin Francis for company this year. The islanders will be looking forward to a reunion with the Castleisland gang which travelled to Bofin in July.
There is a seemingly effortless blending of music between the natives of both places and since Dessie and our own Jackie Dan Jerry O’Connor first played together at the Samhlaiocht festival – in Brennan’s Bar here in town in April of last year – there’s no separating them.
There sessions are passionate affairs with no sparing of strings, buttons or bows. During last year’s festival and on the Sunday afternoon at Kearney’s Bar, Dessie and Jackie held court again on their third meeting. Their admirers included more than an average spattering of teenagers and young people. All Dessie’s hits were demanded and delivered in the course of the session, which included Canadian fiddler and long time festival visitor, Jay Kutchinsky.
There has been a fair level of overseas interest in the last couple of weeks with e-mails coming from the US, Scotland and England.
The finer points of the festival are being hammered out over the next couple of weeks when Cormac O’Mahony is able to finally confirm who’s coming for sure. Accommodation and other details will be posted with an update on the website during the coming days. The accommodation and pub sectors here come in for particular praise in e-mails from people who have been here at one time or another.
As an event like this depends on all aspects of the community it is heartening to get this kind of feedback and I’m only passing on the message.
The web address is www.patrickokeeffe.com
for more info you can contact famous boxplayer johnny reidy from scartaglin:
Tel: 066 7142310
