Join us Monday evening for the festival launch of this year's Cooley Collins Festival. Mairin Fahy broadcasts Trad on The Bay live from Tommy O'Donnell's pub in the square in Gort and it promises to be a show filled with the cream of traditional music, stories and craic. Tune in Monday from 7pm
The 40th Cooley Collins Festival takes place 25th-28th October 2024. To start proceedings, a live recording of local musicians and supporters of the festival has been recorded for broadcast with Kieran Hanrahan on Saturday 5th of October at 9pm, on RTÉ Radio Céilí House, recorded at the beautiful venue that is Gort Town Hall (visit: https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/ceili-house/).
The Festival Launch event will be on Mon 7th October between 7 and 8pm coming to listeners LIVE from Tommy O’Donnell’s pub at the square in Gort, with Galway Bay FM presenter Máirín Fahy’s radio show "Trad on the Prom".
On Thursday 24th and Friday 25th, Paddy and Nicola Egan will perform for students in local schools to promote the festival. The official launch of the 40th Cooley Collins Festival will then be taking place at O’Sullivan’s Hotel, Gort on Friday the 25th of October 2024, with an old friend and collaborator of Joe Cooley’s, Cathie Whitesides, who will be with us all the way from Seattle, USA.
Throughout the October Bank Holiday Weekend, there will be a session trail taking place in several pubs and hotels around the town. A sound installation entitled “The Cooley Connection (see www.patrickegan.org/joe-cooley), features audio tracks in Mp3 players at many locations in the town, where people can hear stories about Joe Cooley from people all over the world. There will also be a series of events in the Town Hall. On Saturday evening, there will be a talk on the Cooley Connection and stories about Kieran Collins, by Paddy and Nicola Egan.
On Sunday 27th there will be a talk with great flute player Éamonn Burke who will be over from London, featuring examples of the Ballinakill / East Galway Flute Style. Two showcase concerts also will happen on Saturday with Brendan Larrissey Fiddle Club, and on Sunday with Conor Connolly. A céilí will be taking place at McCarthy's pub in Kilbeacanty on Sunday 27th. Youngsters will compete for the Cooley Collins cup competition at the Town Hall on Sunday. Mass for Kieran and Joe will take place on the Sunday at 12pm in Gort, with music by a local Comhaltas group.
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