The quaint and quirky island of Craggy is abuzz with excitement as the much-anticipated Ted Fest makes a triumphant return on March 7th-10th.
This year’s festival promises to be a rollercoaster of pure “feckin'” hilarity, celebrating the beloved TV show Father Ted like never before. Craggy Island will come alive with laughter, mischief, and a whole lot of “drink, feck, arse, girls!”
Inis Mór, Aran Islands becomes the legendary ‘Craggy Island’ once more for a weekend of high-jinx. Copious cups of tea and sandwiches, a lot of red tank-tops, nuns on the run, priests on the pull, map-cap costumes and of course a bishop getting a kick up the arse – Fr Ted, Ireland’s best loved TV Show is celebrated.
Visitors will enjoy all the ecumenical craic that Craggy Island has to offer and the official programme has now been announced for the biggest ever Tedfest. Highlights include the annual Lovely Girls Competition, Blind Date with Eoin McLove (Patrick McDonnell), Mrs Doyle Lip Sync Showdown, The Craggy Cup, The Wee Red Chair, The Weakest Greek, Human Bingo, The Tide of Jam Session, The Ted of the Dead Ball, Ted’s Got Talent, The Priests Dance Off, TedMaster, The Hobby Horse Show, The Craggy Comedy Craic Den, The Reverse Wheel of Death and the Father Ted Prizeless Quiz.
Original cast members are also firm favorites at the event and fan favourite Patrick McDonnell is confirmed for 2024 to host Blind Date with Eoin McLove! Willie or no willie, Craggy Island’s most beloved singer always draws a crowd – probably about seventeen million! Competition can also be rife for the coveted Lovely Girls title and organisers have lovely girls practice their lovely talents, lovely laughs, cone walking and general loveliness at all times. Ted’s Got Talent is also a big highlight with some very memorable moments that are definitely well-deserving of a tiny cup.
The Comedy Craic Den and music line-up is always a triumph at TedFest and the charity trad sessions will surely bring out the dancing priests and raise some money for a good cause that won’t just ‘rest in our Account’ This year all funds raised will go towards the islanders campaign to Save the School. This year the music line-up includes a fifteen piece band called the Circus Ponies. All activity will take place at the Aran Islands hotel on Inis Mór which has the space to accommodate the Music Stages, the Craggy Craic Den and full extended line-up.
TedFest 2024 also extends to a Trip to the Mainland, a wicked and wild place according to the website. The Annual TedFest Table Quiz takes place in Massimo’s in Galway on Tues 5 March and the TedFest Toilet Duck Awards 2024 takes place in Róisín Dubh on Wed 6 March.
Organisers advise on the website: “With all parochial houses on the island full of pop stars, Fr Noel Furlong is sponsoring the campsite at Tedfest. So we can release a final batch of Tedfest tickets that will include camping pitches. The Aran Island Campsite has a kitchen, shower/toilet block and a laundry room with dryers. You’ll need to bring your own tents, camping equipment and whistles.
Purchase your Tedfest ticket(s) via www.tedfest.org and we’ll book your camping pitch. A fabulous 15 piece band called The Circus Ponies are already booked in so there could be a bit of ceol agus craic of an evening also!”