This article is from page 101 of the 2008-10-07 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 101 JPG
PREPARATIONS are nearing com- pletion for this year’s Cooley-Collins Traditional Music Festival which take place in Gort later this month. This year is the 24th staging of the festival, which commemorates the lives of local musicians Joe Cooley and Ciaran Collins.
Festivities will be officially opened by Ciaran Hanrahan of RTE in Cooley’s Lodge in Peterswell on the evening of October 24.
Saturday will see improver music classes from Joe Burke, Nuala Hehir, Mary Bergin, Denis Liddy, Ciaran Hanrahan, Eamon Cotter and Jack
Talty at the Gort Community Centre, comhra Gaeilge and children’s work- shops at Coole Park.
The Cooley-Collins Festival is one of the final traditional music festivals of the year and attracts large num- bers to the area to soak up the last of WeComciUbO Sb OSTo) MEAUDOToCE
“There is a feat of music going on at this years festival. We will have music by Mary McNamara at the opening along with the Tulla Young Ceili group and a ceili with the Four Courts at the end of the night,” said organiser Mary Coen.
“The highlight of the festival is the gala concert which takes place on Saturday evening. This year we will
have Joe Burke and Ann Conroy- Burke, Nuala Hehir, Jodie Moran and the Shaskeen Band as well the local musicians. The Tulla Ceili band will also have a ceili that evening and we will have music in the square on Sunday. The last ceilis will come on Sunday and Monday with Matt Cun- ningham and Donie Nolan.”
As soon as this years festival is finished, thoughts will turn to next years 25th anniversary festival.
“Tt has changed a lot since the early days of the festival. I have been in- volved for more than 18 years now but it has changed a lot,’ continued Mary.
“It’s been growing year on year and
there are so many festivals out there now that you have to keep up the standards. We will be pulling out all the stops for next year.
“We will be inviting back al the people who formed the first festival and we are really hoping to get the people who took part in the first ever gala concert. It would be great if anyone who knew Cooley or Collins to get in touch. It should be a great year.”
The festival takes place from October 24 to 27. Anyone inter- ested in sponsoring the festival or pre-book a class should contact Mary on 086 3623765 or e-mail maryteresacoen @eircom.net.