Athlone's three-day Féile na Sionainne starts on Sunday
Three days of events in Athlone to celebrate Irish music, song, and dance will get underway this coming Sunday, August 6.
The schedule for the first Féile na Sionainne festival was finalised last week and features a lively line-up of musical performances, many of which will be taking place under the canopy at Church Street, next to the civic square.
Organisers say Féile na Sionainne promises to be "a very inclusive and exciting few days in and around the town of Athlone".
The schedules culminates with a 'Fleadh day' on Tuesday next, which will include the unveiling of a commemorative paving stone, at the canopy on Church Street, to mark the 70th anniversary of Athlone hosting Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 1953.
It's hoped that Féile na Sionainne can help build momentum for Athlone to again host the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann at some stage in the coming years.
"We hope that this inaugural Féile na Sionainne with be a Féile to remember and that it will be the first of many annual Féiles celebrating the rich musical and cultural heritage of Athlone," said the event's chairman, Jim Mulkerrins.
It opens on Sunday with live music at the canopy on Church Street, which starts with an open trad session at noon and continues throughout the day, with the last performance commencing at 7pm.
The busy line-up of performers includes the renowned Athlone singer-songwriter Eva Coyle, who will be appearing with John Shanagher at 5pm.
Coosan Trad Group, with Cormac and Diarmuid Fleming will also be appearing on Sunday (at 6pm) and performers during the afternoon will include Concannon Academy (3pm), Southern Gaels (3.30pm) and the Padraig Pearses Scór group (4pm).
On Bank Holiday Monday, the line-up at the canopy will again begin at noon, with a performance by Tobar an Cheoil, a junior trad music group from Tubberclair, and this will be followed by a Ukrainian Cultural Group performing at 12.30. The music will continue throughout the afternoon and into the evening.
On Tuesday's 'Fleadh Day' the music at the canopy starts earlier, at 10am, with a performance by the Music Generation Laois Trad Orchestra, followed by the Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Fleadh committee's visit between 11am and 1.30pm.
Tuesday's music at the canopy resumes at 2pm, courtesy of Scoil na gCeithre Máistrí, and continues throughout the rest of the day with performers including the local multi-instrumentalist Neil Fitzgibbon and friends (5.30pm). The line-up culminates with The Henshaws and Friends at 7pm, followed by a Féile 'farewell session' an hour later.
In addition to the music at the canopy, workshops and music therapy events are planned in various locations around town on Monday and Tuesday, while on Monday at 7pm there will be a special Clonown National School 'Music Through The Years' performance in the Shamrock Lodge Hotel.
Trad sessions will also be taking place on Tuesday onboard Michael McDonnell's Viking Boat (12 noon to 1.30pm), and on the deck at the Radisson Blu Hotel (12.30 to 1.30pm), while an 'Inclusive Trad Disco' is being held in St Kieran's Community Centre on Tuesday at 1pm.
All events are free, and the complete schedule can be found on the Féile na Sionainne Facebook or Instagram social media pages.