It will mark the launch of eight days of music and song and dancing on the street as thousands flock way up north from all over the country.

The festival, now in its 51st year, began in a very small way back in the mid-1960s. It was a time when many of the young people from the region lived and worked in England and Scotland and came home on holidays during July and August.

Hugo Boyce, a member of the original committee and still a driving force in the annual festival which celebrated its golden jubilee last year, recalls the first year they started out in Clonmany.

“The idea was really to provide a focal week for people who had left the region to congregate back home on the same week each year. The idea worked well and most of the young people travelled home in early August to meet friends and enjoy nights out with family and neighbours.

“The first band we booked was the Nazareth Céilí Band from Derry. In 1968, Larry Cunningham was visiting some friends up our way and someone suggested to him that he should ramble into Clonmany. Larry was a huge name on the scene at the time having topped the Irish charts with Lovely Leitrim in 1966.

“It was an open air show and Larry went up and sang a few songs. He went down a treat and his visit was the talk of the place. It gave us all a great boost at the time,” says Hugo.

Five decades on, Clonmany festival is booming and the Donegal hospitality is still winning hearts and minds. Hotels and guest houses around Buncrana, Ballyliffin, Moville and Clonmany are completely booked out. Country music is delivering a huge boost to the local economy.

Sligo man Patrick Feeney and his band get the 2018 Festival underway with an afternoon gig on Sunday, August 5, at 4pm, while Declan Nerney and band will entertain the patrons later from 9.30pm to 11.30pm.

The following six nights, Monday 6 to Saturday 11, there will be a two band show each night with the opening act on stage from 8pm to 9.30pm and the main act from there until 11.30pm.

Lisa McHugh is among the acts you can see perform at the festival. \ Lorraine Teevan

Jim Devine and Lisa McHugh and their bands are the Monday night attractions.

Tuesday is also a big day in the region as it sees the staging of the 51st Clonmany Agricultural Show which was founded the same year as the Clonmany Festival.

Thousands will flock to the event at Pollan Green, Ballyliffin, where they have organised a massive show this year. The country music side of things will be catered for in the afternoon by Philomena Begley, Gary Fitzpatrick and Gary McEvoy. The day also includes the Show Queen Contest, a Vintage Display and various sports.

Back in Clonmany on Tuesday night, Shunie Crampsey and Mike Denver will entertain the folks. David James and The Ryan Turner Band and Derek Ryan and band provide the music and banter on Wednesday night.

The organisers are expecting a few thousand on the street on Thursday night when Nathan Carter and band headline the midweek show with the Dominic and Barry Kirwan Show launching proceedings at 8pm.

The weekend sees Shane Owens and Jimmy Buckley on Friday night and the Whistling Donkeys and Johnny Brady on Saturday night.

Clonmany 2018 draws to a close on Sunday, August 12, with Clíona Hagan and band doing the 4pm afternoon gig and Michael English and band bringing the curtains down with the 9.30pm show. After five decades of service to his community, Hugo Boyce is entitled to the last word. “We are all immensely proud in our small community with the way our festival has grown into the most successful of its kind on the island of Ireland.

“It is a huge community venture with around 120 volunteers in action during the festival. We have great support and cooperation from the Garda Síochána and the Civil Defence and there’s a warm welcome for all who visit us in Clonmany for our very special annual festival.”

The street subscription to the open air concerts is just €5 for adults and children under 12 are free.

For further details, visit the Clonmany Festival page on Facebook.