Delights await at festival in memory of Shane MacGowan
The Broad Majestic Shannon Festival, a celebration of Shane MacGowan in his ancestral home parish of Kilbarron, returns for a second year on Saturday, and Sunday, September 13-14.
The festival indeed promises to celebrate Shane’s legacy of music, lyricism and song, launching in the village hall on Saturday evening with the ‘Lynch’s Kitchen’ session, a recreation of Shane’s maternal family’s legendary musical and storytelling sessions that had such a profound impact on the young Shane and greatly inspired his work.
Finishing with an open session, the audience will be invited to participate in the traditional Irish way. The limited tickets for this event, priced at €17.07, are available through Eventbrite: https://lynchskitchen.eventbrite.ie/
SUNDAY’S EVENTS
On Sunday afternoon, from 2-6pm, the village square hosts a lively performance of open-air music by Trad/Rock/Folk band Tradstone, and award-winning traditional musician Keelan McGrath and friends, with the crossroads dancers, so loved by Shane, taking to the boards. Revellers can feast on barbecue, home-baking and coffee at the food stalls.
Sunday afternoon also features a very special exhibition of Shane memorabilia, with a selection of rarely seen mementoes provided by Shane’s sister Siobhan MacGowan.
Also on display will be two items for auction: a unique embroidery crafted especially for the festival, by American artist, Maggie Donovan, inspired by Shane’s ‘Sick Bed of Cúchulainn’, plus a mounted replica of the Shane MacGowan worldwide stamp, from the An Post ‘Iconic Irish Voices’ series 2024. Both items will be accompanied by a personal note from Siobhan MacGowan to the winner.
Bids in the auction can be placed online at: http://bmsfc.betterworld.org/auctions/broad-majestic-shannon-fest-cele
All proceeds will go to the Capuchin Day Centre in Dublin.
MORE INFORMATION
More information on what promises to be a very special weekend can be found on:
Facebook @Broad Majestic Shannon Festival
The Kilbarron village Eircode is: E45 XY28