Traditional music festival 'Coming of Spring Trad Fest' takes place February bank holiday

PICTURED ABOVE: Four Men and a Dog who will be featuring at the festival.

placeholder image — PICTURED ABOVE: Four Men and a Dog who will be featuring at the festival.

Traditional music festival coming to Nenagh over February bank holiday weekend

Nenagh is set to host a weekend-long celebration of traditional Irish music, song and dance over the February bank holiday, as The Coming of Spring Trad Fest arrives in the town from Friday, January 30 to Sunday, February 1.

Known in Irish as Féile Teacht an Earraigh, the festival will bring sessions, workshops, concerts and late-night events to venues across Nenagh, with the Abbey Court Hotel serving as the main focal point throughout the weekend.

Proceedings get under way on Friday evening with a gathering session in the Abbey Court Hotel bar, led by workshop tutors Aaron Glancy, Orlaith McAuliffe, Paul Clesham and Thomas Ahern.

The opening night sets the tone for a programme that blends informal music-making with structured performances and learning opportunities.

Saturday morning is devoted to instrument workshops, running from 11am to 1pm, covering accordion, fiddle, flute, concertina and banjo.

A children’s session follows at 1.30pm, ahead of an afternoon and evening of sessions spreading across the town. Participating venues include Una Powell’s, The Kenyon, Rocky’s, Rohan’s and The Half Door.

The evening programme on Saturday features an album launch at 8pm with Patricia Clarke, Paul Finn and Cillian Doheny.

This is followed at 10pm by the first headline concert of the festival, held in the Abbey Court Hotel, with performances from Piaras Ó Lorcáin and The Railway Boys, a contemporary Irish folk group noted for combining traditional material with modern influences.

Events continue on Sunday morning with a Rince ar an sean-nós workshop led by Ava Glancy at 11am. From 1pm to 8pm, sessions once again take place across Nenagh, including a teen session in Rocky’s at 4pm.

Other venues hosting music during the day include The Kenyon, Una Powell’s, Rohan’s, The 44 Bar and the Abbey Court Hotel.

The festival’s closing concert sees Four Men and a Dog take to the stage at 10pm on Sunday night in the Abbey Court Hotel.

This is followed by the Festival Club, where DJ Ollie Mulloolly will provide late-night entertainment. The weekend draws to a close with a farewell session at the Abbey Court Hotel on Monday.

Further information and ticket bookings are available via the QR code on festival posters, through Facebook and Instagram at @the_coming_of_spring, or by email at [email protected].