Féile na Sionainne to showcase “depth of musical talent” in Athlone area
by David Flynn
There are high expectations for the best of Irish music, song and dance to be performed in Athlone this Bank Holiday weekend, following the official launch of the third annual Féile na Sionainne in The Venue on Church Street, Athlone, on Friday evening last.
The féile will get underway today (Friday, August 1), with events continuing on Saturday and Sunday.
Jim Mulkerrins, chairman of the volunteer Féile na Sionainne committee warmly welcomed a gathering of people to a lovely launch event last Friday, which featured the easy-listening but strong, enriching tempos of the West of Ireland trad music group, Ox Mountain Quartet.
Jim told of the féile having started in 2023 and in these short few years it has grown to become one of Athlone’s biggest annual events.
"A lot of that is thanks to our friends in the River Festival, and, between us, we bring to Athlone a fairly unrivalled weekend of music, song, dance, culture, fun and entertainment for all the family," said Jim.
He praised the local Comhaltas branch and said that they have transformed the traditional musical landscape of Athlone, and also that, in the last couple of years, the level of engagement particularly from children and young people has been phenomenal.
"We have a number of competition participants that we didn't have before, and we have representation now going to the Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann in Wexford, the week after next, and a couple of years ago we couldn’t have dreamed of that," said Jim.
He outlined how the committee members had been working tirelessly throughout the year in preparation for this year’s Féile, and had stayed in contact with all the performers, supporters, volunteers and sponsors to ensure it would be a great success.
Jim was hopeful that attendees at the events this weekend would enjoy "the fruits of the hard labour that has been going on," in preparation for the event.
"We are really grateful to all of our sponsors and, without John Henson, the Festival programme that goes on throughout the year in Athlone, wouldn’t go on. He's a dynamo!"
Jim happily presented and introduced Ox Mountain Quartet, which he said was a group that had rapidly risen to the forefront of Irish music performance.
Speaking at the event to the Westmeath Independent, Ellen Costello, musician, committee member, and chairperson of Athlone Comhaltas was delighted with the launch night turnout and spoke of the trojan efforts being put in by all behind the scenes.
Committee member Cllr Aengus O’Rourke, also speaking to this newspaper, said the Féile promises a fine weekend showing the depth of music talent from the Athlone region, Moate, South Roscommon and parts of Offaly.
"It's an amazing family, the whole Comhaltas group of artists. It's been a steep learning curve for me, and I've enjoyed listening to the musicians, but I feel a bit of a fraud because I never learned a musical instrument!" said Cllr O’Rourke, laughing.
"Comhaltas are really big on teaching youngsters how to play, and they bring them along, which is fantastic. In sessions, it's amazing to see 30 to 40 kids play guitars, banjos, fiddles and bodhrans, and it's one of my own regrets that I can't play an instrument.
"But the musicians, like Ellen, Anita O’Connor, Lucy Nally and James O'Donohoe, are so committed to the cause and so giving of their time.”