Pubs, restaurants, hotels, shops and other businesses in the county town are expected to experience a welcome financial uplift over the coming days as Ennis Trad Festival gets underway.
The 32nd edition of the much-loved musical event begins on Thursday the 5th of November with a launch event in the Temple Gate Hotel. Clare FM presenter Joan Hanrahan will officially open the festival, after which up-and-coming band Alltacht will launch their debut album.
The five-day programme, which runs until Monday the 9th of November, includes four flagship concerts, over 100 curated sessions across more than 25 venues, 12 masterclasses, 11 album launches, a trad quiz and a céilí, ensuring there is something for everyone at the festival.
With over 300 musicians involved in the session trail, hotels at capacity and tickets selling fast for the concerts, which feature such luminaries as the Máirtín O’Connor Band, the Karan Casey Trio and Buttons & Bows, the town is expected to be teeming with life over the course of the festival; an aspect of the event which will undoubtedly result in a surge in economic activity in Ennis and its surrounds.
An additional dimension to this year’s festival which will facilitate a further influx of visitors is the ‘Traditional Music of Europe’ concert in glór on Sunday the 8th of November at 3:30pm, presented by Clare Arts and Ennis Trad Festival. Supported by the Clare Arts Office as part of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the concert will bring together exponents of various European folk music traditions with young Clare traditional musicians for a unique cultural showcase.
Since its inception in 1994, local business owners have hailed the economic boost the festival represents in an otherwise difficult month for many sectors. This aspect, coupled with the jubilant celebration of Irish traditional music central to the event, will undoubtedly ensure the 32nd Ennis Trad Festival will be remembered fondly in Clare for years to come.
Ennis Trad Festival Chairperson David Stone says: “The response to this year’s festival has been fantastic so far, and we’re expecting large numbers of musicians and visitors to Ennis over the five days. That means a real buzz around the town, with plenty of activity and footfall for local businesses at a time of year when that extra trade is particularly welcome. It’s great to see the festival continuing to make such a positive contribution to the town.
We’re hugely grateful to our partner venues, particularly the Queens Hotel and the Old Ground Hotel, who host our four flagship concerts, and the Temple Gate Hotel, where we launch the festival on Thursday.
We have a fantastic line-up across the four nights, with Peter Street on Friday, Scottish band Cala on Saturday, Buttons & Bows alongside Aisling Lyons, Muireann Ní Shé and Becky Ní Éallaithe on Sunday, and the Máirtín O’Connor Band and Karan Casey Trio closing the festival on Monday.
So much of the festival is free to enjoy, and coming along to one of our concerts is a great way to support the festival and help us keep bringing this standard of music to Ennis. We’d really encourage people locally to come out, enjoy the music and be part of what makes this festival so special.”
