Spirit of Folk Set to Enchant Festival Goers in Meath this Autumn
Featuring some of the biggest names in folk music, including Seventies legend Gay Woods of Steeleye Span, the Spirit of Folk Festival is set to be an alternative weekend set in the lush Meath countryside this September 23rd-25th. With an emphasis on community-based activities as well as an impressive musical line up, this boutique festival is gearing up to be a treat for all the senses.
Woods is set to take to the stage for the first time in several years and will be headlining at the niche festival, which takes place in the stunning grounds of Dunderry Park in September this year. With a plethora of established, as well as up and coming, artists taking part such as Fiach, Lisa O’Neill, Rob Cunningham, The Young Folk, Owensie and St John the Gambler, to name a few, this is a weekend that will truly excite lovers of folk music. However, the festival will offer so much more than the music, with many fresh and exciting sideline events that have never before been seen at music festivals before.
Event organisers have promised a weekend to rival Bilbo Baggins’ birthday bash with an endless list of unconventional activities including archery, falconry, battle re-enactments, storytelling in a candle lit cairn, burning effigies, medieval games, fireworks, community games as well as a Mind, Body & Soul area.
Kicking off with a Ceilí Mor on Friday night, the fun is set to continue right through until Sunday evening. Campers will not have far to walk to the main festival area and those counting the pennies will be thrilled to know they can bring their own booze.
Festival organisers, father and daughter team Martin, Natasha and Emily Duffy, are Ireland’s answer to Glastonbury’s Michael and Emily Eavis. They say they decided on folk as they felt it was a musical genre that is enjoying a huge revival at the moment.
“When I saw the recent surge in popularity for smaller niche festivals, I felt it was something I would like to do at Dunderry Park. I thought that in these recessionary times, people feel like going back to basics. I wanted something with a sense of community and something that would lift people’s spirits and would help them connect to their roots,” Martin says.
Martin’s main aim is to create a relaxed and intimate space for people who want a real festival experience, but with a twist. He added, “We hope that like minded and light hearted people will come along.” Another aim of the Festival is to raise much needed funds for the charity and centre which he has run for several years.
All profits will go towards the Oaktree Charitable Trust, which runs Dunderry Park. The centre provides a space for groups of people who are suffering from depression or anxiety as well as rape crisis groups, youth groups, groups dealing with the effects of the troubles in Northern Ireland and youth mental health.
Ticket Details – €95 for weekend camping pass, €59 for Saturday Only. Kids under 12 go free. Tickets are available online from tickets.ie or directly from Dunderry Park by calling 046 90 74455.
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