Pan Celtic festival shines in Carlow despite the weather

DESPITE inclement weather, road blockages and fuel shortages, the Pan Celtic International Festival was “fantastic”, said organiser Emma Uí Bhroin.

The five days and nights of Celtic culture were opened by President Catherine Connolly on Wednesday 8 April, who spoke about the connections between the six Celtic nations: Alba (Scotland), Breizh (Brittany), Cymru (Wales), Kernow (Cornwall), Mannin (Isle of Man) and Éire (Ireland).

“The Celtic way of seeing the world is one that values imagination, creativity, community and that very, very deep link between people, place and language,” said President Connolly in her opening address.

Creativity was definitely involved when the family fun day at the town hall on Saturday had to be rearranged after the performers, affected by fuel shortages and road blockages, were unable to travel to Carlow. Similarly, the Donegal céilí band were unable to make it for their Friday night concert, but a local group stepped in and the event went ahead.

“Everyone was marvellous and our several plan Bs carried us through, and nothing was cancelled,” said Bríde de Róiste, one of the festival organisers.

Clear plastic ponchos donned over traditional costumes meant that the Friday afternoon parade went ahead without a problem. “Everyone who came to watch it really enjoyed it. We were thrilled that we managed to run it,” said Emma.

Another highlight was the international song contest on Thursday, in which Dúlra Scroista, a song written by Carlovian Dave Barron and performed by Clara Hutchinson to music set by Fiach Ó Muircheartaigh, emerged as the winner. The win for Éire was “a tremendous feeling on a personal level,” said Dave, but he also sees the win “as an affirmation that the Celtic culture is alive and well in the Carlow area”.

On Saturday, ‘Streetfest’ went ahead as planned and “there was a great crowd in the afternoon. There were lots of buskers taking part in competitions and it was lovely to see all the dancers out around the town,” said Emma.

For the pubs, “it was an extremely busy weekend”, particularly after the 12 choirs and approximately 600 people spilled out of their competitions and into local watering holes. Emma commended the investment put into music events like trad sessions and visiting musicians’ extra sets in pubs which “makes the performers want to come back next year”.

Emma and fellow organiser Bríde de Róiste expressed their gratitude to Carlow Co Council, the roughly 50 volunteers and everyone else who made the festival possible. Next year, between 30 March and 3 April, the festival returns to Carlow for the fifth year in a row, which is “hard to even think about now”, said an exhausted Emma, but with a hint of excitement in her voice.