Mearescourt the place to be in mid-September
After 18 months of near silence, live music is back and Mearescourt is the place to be on September 10-12 next for a festival that has something for everyone.
Friday night is for Electric Picnic fans as the recreation of the famous Mullingar Stage in the Mindfield will provide a feast of funk, pop and rock.
Hosted by Marty Mulligan, the show kicks off at 7pm with Bobby and The Blunts, followed by festival favourites – Cronin (congratulations to Johnny Cronin and Olga Aughey on the recent birth of their son, Daniel).
Then The Blizzards hit the stage on their sold out mini tour of Ireland. Doors open 5pm.
Doors open at 4pm on Saturday when the all-Ireland senior football final will be shown on the big screen with full sound system as you sit back, have your drinks delivered to your table and enjoy the match.
After the match the music and craic begin with a line-up of country stars. Ray Dolan, MC, will be belting out some of Joe Dolan’s greatest hits. Then those purveyors of pure country, The Tennessee Breakdown Band, will feature special guest performances by Chris Loughrey and Bríd Shaughnessy.
Louisiana’s finest son and Westmeath’s adopted cowboy, Robert Mizzell, and his band will round off the night. So get out your Stetsons and cowboy boots for a country extravaganza.
On Sunday, the doors open at midday for one of the finest traditional shows to be held in Westmeath for a long time and it is dedicated to the Mullingar Fleadh Cheoil team.
It features some of the county’s finest trad musicians and all-Ireland champions. Mick Foster and his band play on stage on the beautiful lawns of Mearescourt, where he grew up, joined by Sharon Shannon and friends. With writer and documentary maker, Manchán Magan, is MC.
On Sunday, doors open at 6pm for an evening of sounds and songs from Broadway and the classical music world. Renowned author and raconteur Michael Harding, MC, will welcome on stage some of Ireland’s finest singers and international stars.
Helen Hassett will perform songs she sang for Barrack Obama in the White House and for President Michael D Higgins. Flying in for the gig are Mark Irwin, who recently completed a run in the Sydney Opera House, and Emmet Cahill, who spends a lot of the year touring America and selling out such famous venues as Carnegie Hall.
The venture is part funded by the Dept of Tourism and supported by Westmeath County Council.