By Barry Coughlan
Anyone in or near the Waterford area this month should tune in to the aptly named TuneFest Dungarvan.
Dungarvan has been blazing a trail in the tourism sector this past decade; the harbor town has built up a reputation as a serious challenger to Kinsale’s (County Cork) undoubtedly deserved reputation as the food capital of Ireland.
While Kinsale prides itself in being serious participants at the annual Cork International Jazz Festival in October, Ireland’s most exciting emerging traditional Irish music festival, will take place in the scenic Waterford town from June 21-23.
TuneFest will bring together some of the most talented traditional Irish musicians and singers from Waterford, Ireland and overseas for one incredible weekend of top-class music and fun.
With sessions, concerts, recitals, workshops, CD launches and an open air gig rig festival goers will enjoy the cream of traditional Irish music, dance and song. The festival prides itself on being family friendly and includes opportunities for young musicians to perform and learn with street buskers and tutors.
Headliner concerts take place on each night of the three-day festival. Topping the program this year are three internationally renowned acts; Cherish the Ladies, Talisk and Danú.
Cherish the Ladies are one of most heralded Irish music ensembles in the world. This Grammy-nominated Irish American supergroup formed in New York City in 1985 to celebrate the rise of women in what had been a male-dominated Irish music scene.
Led by champion flute and whistle player Joanie Madden, the group includes accomplished musicians including Mary Coogan, Mirella Murray, Kathleen Boyle, Nollaig Casey and Kate Purcell.
Support act on this opening night is from ‘Tri Thine’, a vibrant young group of musicians hailing from counties Meath, Tipperary, Cork and Fermanagh.
The group met in Meitheal Summer School in 2022, they won the group competition and were awarded a performance slot in Tunefest.
During the day workshops will take place, where tutors for fiddle, concertina, whistle, banjo, accordion and bodhran will be present.
Added interest will be where people have an opportunity to ‘Try the pipes’ with Na Píobairí Uilleann.
There will be a busking competition for young musicians around the streets, and also an afternoon of music and dialogue hosted by Joe Power, featuring multiple guest artists including Bobby Gardiner, Donal Clancy, Donnchadh Gough and Benny McCarthy.
The music fun and dance will also extend to the pubs with a session trail in venues to include Tudor House, Merrys’, Downey’s, The Anchor, The Local and The Moorings.
Tallisk are Saturday’s headline act. Taking place from 8 pm at Club Creation, this ground-breaking, chart-topping, genre-bending, globetrotting folk group from Scotland promise a night of high energy music. Talisk was formed in 2014 in Glasgow and are one of the most talked about folk bands these times, having won numerous awards.
The action continues with all-day sessions, CD launches and new music from emerging act while the festival culminates with the eagerly awaited appearance of Danú at The Park Hotel.
This much loved group bring to the stage a high-energy performance and a glorious mix of ancient airs, popular ballads, céilí, jigs, reels, and polkas to more modern tunes with an Irish trad twist.
Support act on the night is the terrific Taobh Na Mara, former All Ireland Senior Céilí Band Champions and a full house is expected.
Now in its fourth year, Tunefest is organized by a voluntary committee embedded in the local trad community. This emerging festival has quickly become a favorite for Irish music lovers and families alike.
TuneFest’s success is supported by tremendous local talent and the music credentials and contacts of those involved in the programming. The passion for trad music in and around Dungarvan is notable and the local grá for trad is in no small measure thanks to a strong and vibrant trad community led by its proximity to the nearby An Rinn Gaeltacht and the thriving Comhaltas Ceoltoirí Eireann branches.
In addition to the top class music offered at TuneFest, Dungarvan town is a fine destination to visit with its wide selection of pubs and restaurants, and of course the Waterford Greenway.
The festival has also teamed up with local hotels and accommodation providers to offer special packages for those looking to stay in Dungarvan for the weekend.
Commenting ahead of the 2024 TuneFest “We are thrilled to be counting down to this year’s highly anticipated festival, our sessions will have the streets and venues of the town hopping, with the best of ancient airs and modern trad. We hope that locals and visitors to the town will turn out to soak up the ceoil and craic,” said festival organizer Donnchadh Gough, a well-respected uilleann-piper and bodhrán player with Irish band Danú and owner of The Local gastropub, which serves a dish of trad music most nights.
Tickets for TuneFest Dungarvan are on sale now via tunefest.ie and eventbrite.
TuneFest is funded by Waterford Council, Diageo, Heineken, Comhaltas, Foras na Gaeilge Cairde Credit Union and local businesses.
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