Carlow is all ready to swing to the country beat this June bank holiday weekend. One can sense an extra buzz ahead of Summerfest Carlow this time around as the foundations were put down in spectacular fashion last year.

The Hennessy brothers, Ollie and Walter, hometown lads with a huge passion for their beloved county are the chief organisers of the festival and are hugely upbeat ahead of the weekend.

“Advance ticket sales are excellent and many accommodation outlets are booked for weeks,” says Ollie. “We have long believed that Carlow has been at a serious disadvantage as there was no history of major music festivals in the town and county.

“We decided to go the country route last year and we had a great venue at Oak Park. People loved it and we are back there again this June bank holiday weekend. The shows are from 6pm to midnight on both nights.”

It all gets underway on Saturday evening, 1 June. “Because of the interest in and the clash with the Champions League Final between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspurs, we are going to have a big screen on site which should add greatly to the atmosphere of the evening.

“When that ends, Cliona Hagan and band will be ready to raise the roof in the marquee and set the mood for the two nights of festivities. The Tyrone singer has a greatly enhanced profile since last year with her weekly appearances on Dancing with the Stars on RTÉ earlier this year.

“Our own Derek Ryan and his band will follow Cliona’s performance and patrons should be in top form by then. Derek is a big attraction and he will naturally feel very much at home in his home county too,” adds Ollie.

When Sunday evening rolls around, Carlow should really be buzzing with the influx of so many music devotees from around the country. Nathan Carter and his band and Robert Mizzell and The Country Kings are assured of a big welcome down Carlow way.

Also on the bill over the weekend are Crystal Swing, Dominic and Barry Kirwan and Ben Troy.

“Carlow is now so accessible with the motorway and we are so close to Laois, Kildare, Kilkenny, Wicklow and Wexford.

“This is also a natural hinterland for country music, good farming country and a long tradition of excellent relations between the farming fraternity and the townspeople. We are very grateful to The Irish Farmers Journal for their support. The Journal is such a part of life in this region,” says Ollie.

There is free parking on site and all the details are available on their website summerfestcarlow.com.

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