Nialls take centre stage at Festival of the Fires

Saturday's Festival of the Fires was about three people: Niall Breslin, Conor Quinn and Niall Horan - and the excitement reached a crescendo as the stage crew set things up for Bressie, and the chanting started. Sadly, Niall Horan didn't sing, but there was barely breathing room around the main stage as Bressie took to the stage, outshining the welcome given to the other big stars of the day, including the Hothouse Flowers and Jerry Fish and The Mudbug Club. There was another rapturous welcome for Conor Quinn, who gave a fantastic performance - professional and confident, booming that great voice across the heads of a crowd to whom he explained that he was "only from up the road"; and a great reception too for Graham Dowling, who sang early in the afternoon, another fantastic talent who is going to go a long way. Conor Quinn was joined onstage for a duet by Nollaig O'Connor of The Voice fame, but found himself back out again for Bressie's performance, where another star performance was given by Voice of Ireland winner Pat Byrne. Meanwhile, backstage, Niall Horan mixed and mingled with the other artists, and those lucky enough to have backstage passes. Teenage girls pressed their noses against the steel fence surrounding the backstage area, dying not so much to see him, as to be seen by him. A couple of lithe young ones even managed to slide under the fence and make their way in. The crowd at the event was by far the largest the festival has hosted to date, but despite the immense numbers, everything ran smoothly - from the carparking, to the performing, to the crowd management. As in previous years, there were several stages dotted around the massive festival site on the Hill of Uisneach, all catering for different tastes - including a spoken word tent. For those who were just there for the craic and the atmosphere, there was a great buzz around Clarke's bar; and there was no chance of going hungry, thanks to a great variety of stalls on site. The site is majestic On top of a hill from which - it is claimed - there is a view of some 22 counties, it is ideal for a festival, with an undulating landscape that means there are plenty of places to tuck away the many extra attractions that make the Festival of the Fires such a fantastic event for all ages. And make no mistake about it: 22 counties or not, that view is stupendous, and on Saturday, although it was a chilly day, there were great vistas across miles of countryside in all directions. Around the site, there were surprise artistic 'finds' for those exploring; great pieces of artwork, and an entire craft village, offering the opportunity to see craftspeople at work and view the fruits of their labours. Topping it all was the great pyre, built at the summit, around which all the drama occurred after darkness fell. It was so high it had its own balcony, on which, prior to lighting the pyre, fire artists danced with blazing torches. Through a route illuminated with blazing pots of fire came the procession: people in ancient costumes beating bodhráns; performers in fantastically-coloured costumes; fire-eaters; giant onion-dome style inflatables - and always nearby were the Uisneach Warriors, faces painted, wearing capes, and thrilling all as they sped around on their horses. Once the fire of Uisneach was lit, so too were fires on high points around the area, and in many of the other counties around Ireland. And then, as the sparks danced skywards, joining the Chinese lanterns overhead, the crowds slowly ambled back down the hill - some to the music, and some, to their cars, wrecked, ravenous, and promising themselves that they'd definitely be back again next year.