Uisneach Gathering is only days away

 

The two-day Gathering at Uisneach kicks off in spectacular fashion this Saturday with some of the biggest names in Irish music performing, such as The Original Rude Boys, Rubber Bandits, Ryan Sheridan, Riptide Movement, and Kíla.

At a new festival site adjacent to the Uisneach Inn Bar, this has been chosen as one of Westmeath’s flagship events and is put together by the people behind the multi-award winning Festival of the Fires.

Many of the elements of that event have been incorporated in the new ‘Gathering at Uisneach’ festival, and, as a special incentive to visitors to Ireland for The Gathering, tourists with a recent flight ticket or proof of entry will gain free entry. Tourists must accompany a ticket holder and must register first, but this gesture to help tourists and promote Westmeath as a great Gathering location has attracted headlines and web traffic around the world.

Families will have plenty to see and do at the event, and as it is the Bealtaine weekend there will be a fire ceremony each night and keeping with the tradition of Festival of the Fires, the history and heritage of Uisneach will be to the fore. There will also be a wide array of food and drink, including the celebrated Pieminister, recently voted Europe’s best festival food.

The event is supported by Westmeath County Council and the Irish Public Bodies Insurance. Return buses from Athlone, Moate, Mullingar, Kilbeggan and Tullamore mean no one has to drive. They leave each town at 2.30pm and 6.30pm, returning just after midnight.

See Ticketmaster.ie; day tickets for Saturday May 4 and Sunday May 5 are €25, weekend tickets €40; find the festival on Facebook and at festivalofthefires.com; info@festivalofthefires.com; on Twitter: @festivaloffires.