Ireland's premier Abba tribute act Abbaesque will perform at Castlefest on Saturday

Nenagh all set for Castlefest 2019

Music and food lovers will gather in the grounds of Nenagh Castle this weekend for the third annual Nenagh Castlefest.


Headlined by Brian Kennedy and Abba tribute act Abbaesque, and also featuring big name acts like the The Conquerors Showband, Trudi Lawlor and Paddy Cole as well as an array of top local talent, the festival kicks off this weekend, running from Friday evening through to Sunday afternoon. The organisers are hoping the good weather arrives in time to create the festival mood as the weekend draws near.


“As the Castlefest becomes more established, the local businesses and traders are buying into it more,” says Tom Boland, one of the organisers. “Most of the bars in the town are putting on live music this year and we have trad sessions lined up for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, including daytime gigs. We have shops and businesses asking for more programmes, and not just in Nenagh, it’s attracting great interest from all over the country.


“I’ve had calls from a broad range of people – some families looking for places to park campervans, people asking about the traditional music workshops, where the different musicians are playing, and which act is on what date.


“We’ve been pushing the festival through social media as well as local media, and now RTÉ and the national media have picked up on it. People from all over the area have grown to see it as part of the summer in North Tipperary and the fact that it’s free for the most part is a huge attraction for families in particular. The weather will hopefully pick up for the weekend so that will definitely work in our favour.”


The festival opens on Friday evening with a traditional music session in the Hibernian Inn, Pearse Street, featuring musicians who are visiting the town from all over the country.
Chair of the organising committee, Cllr Hughie McGrath, is looking forward to the weekend: “There’s a good feeling in general towards the Castlefest. We get great support from Tipperary County Council and from local businesses, and we are really grateful for this. When people see the signs going up around the town and the flyers in the shops, it adds to the atmosphere.


“This is our third running of it so we are learning what works and what doesn’t work. We’re always looking to grow it and take on new ideas. I think while the headline grabbers will be Brian Kennedy and Abbaesque, lots of people just love to be in the grounds of Nenagh Castle and have great music playing while they enjoy time with the family and community. We’re very lucky to have the castle in such a great location in the middle of the town and this is a great opportunity for people to enjoy it.”


The activity continues on through the weekend with live music, foodstalls, barbecue, funfair and lots more. Programmes can be found in numerous outlets around town and on the festival Facebook page @NenaghCastlefest.