Summer Festivals Part III - August

You know August is the start of autumn. It is still summer for many though. And while the sun shines. Wait that saying has no use here.....while the rain continues falling; I'm determined to enjoy some of these festivals in said rain. We may get wet but rejoice that one gets to see all this music live.

CastlePalooza
Where: Tullamore, Co. Offaly
When: 3rd-5th August
Cost: 3 day Camping €50-85 3 Day no camping €65
Camping: Yes
Website: Castlepalooza
Why should I Go: How often do you get to attend a top-class festival in Offaly?

There is a mix of everything at CastlePalooza. Set in the grounds of Charleville Castle (one of the most haunted places in Ireland, as I remember from my youth), the music is a bit of everything. Apart from the music there are workshops, film shorts and a spa. Impressive going. The festival is filled with mainly Irish band with every facet of a genre covered here. Some you might recognise from this blog include Lights Camera Sundown and The Viking Project. Others who might be worth checking out are Roisin O and the impressive The Ambience Affair.

Jack of Diamonds Rhythm & Roots Festival
Where: Dublin City
When: 17th -19th August
Cost: ?? so far
Camping: No
Website: Jack of Diamonds
Why should I Go: Cause you want to pick up on banjo skills...literally

The Jack of Diamonds looks like one of the best line-ups for a roots/americana festival this year. The music covers an amazing amount of genres from folk to americana to blues to bluegrass to Armenian metal with flutes. Hard to beat that for an eclectic line-up? As well as that the festival is hosting a number of workshops over the weekend so you can develop your own sound on many different instruments and compare to the professionals at night! Among those appearing are quite a few who have already had a presence on this blog including Raglans, The Hot Sprockets, Nathan Conway and The Eskies to name but a few. But like most festivals, it's always the band you have never heard of that you take away with you. The "Armenian metal with flutes" band; The Bambir are one I am looking forward to and this trio of great voices; Wyvern Lingo

Ballinamore Fringe Festival
Where: Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim
When: 23rd-26th August
Cost: FREE
Camping: Yes
Website: Ballinamore Fringe
Why should I Go: 230 Acts. It's all free.

Ballinamore Fringe Festival is a festival dedicated to "promoting cultural and community diversity through the arts". The organisation is a non-profit organisation and fair play to them for putting on a festival with a jaw-dropping amount of bands appearing. The line-up is crazy. If you don't find something you like here, I would worry. Again similar to Jack of Diamonds, I think nearly every genre is covered. Who am I looking forward to seeing? Layne County for one, White McKenzie. Of those I have yet to come across In the Willows sound impressive and the Lynchburgh Mob might be worth a gawk.

Other Festivals (if you have the time)

Some others of interest this coming month include two bluegrass festivals, at Dunmore East and the Appalachian & Bluegrass Music Festival in Omagh. The Indiependence Festival in Cork and for something a bit Different, the Decades festival in Cork (no, nothing got to do with the Rosary) but a festival where each venue is celebrating a different decade from the 0-10 A.D (the first noughties) to the most recent one. Looks tempting.