Wednesday, 07 January 2009

The Irish Festival Of Oulu Print E-mail
By Matti McCambridge   
Monday, 02 October 2006

How do you know you’re being stalked by an Irishman? Potatoes are missing and your parrot is singing “Danny Boy.”

Irish Festival Beginning next Thursday, from October 5th to 8th, Oulu will experience its very first Irish Festival, or Fleadh Éireannach.  So if you beat for the bodhrán, cry at pipes, long for leprechauns, or just have to try Irish dance, the Irish Music Society of Oulu warns you not to miss this event. There’s something for  everyone, they claim - kids, pensioners, students, white collar workers.

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Pure Drop
But, what exactly is an Irish festival? “Well,” says Brent Cassidy, festival organiser, “there’s music, dance, stories. We have Pure Drop coming over. That’s huge.”  Pure Drop are a trad band consisting of singer Batt O'Connor, concertina player Alan Egan, and piper phenomenon Mickey Dunne. Cassidy expects a packed house for the Saturday gig. “Hint: you’d better get to Willi Sika early if you want to get in.”

The rest of the line-up are no slouches either. Oulu virtuosos Cascade, Yläsiirtola Ramblers, and The Soap Pig will offer boundless ‘arrays’ and ‘whirlwinds’ of energetic, locally brewed folk in venues like Leskinen, Tervasoihtu, and NUKU. And if that isn’t enough, they have daily live music sessions, a weekend of Dahmsa Irish dance lessons, and tales at the library for the kiddies.

All we need now is the Irish ambassador. No, apparently he’s coming too. Brent: “I’ve been doing this for the last half year and I can’t believe it’s almost here. It’s amazing.” He gulps and sighs audibly. “Hope you get this up for the weekend. We want to tell as many people as possible.”

If previous Irish events are anything to go by, they have nothing to fear. People should turn up in their droves. Irishness is growing in Oulu like a fever. Last Saint Patrick’s day, bars were packed with flashing shamrocks, fiddles, and smashed Finns drinking green beer and singing The Wild Rover.

Cassidy hopes this will be the first of many Oulu Irish festivals. He lets slip that ‘several top Irish bands’ have already asked to come to next year’s event. Besides, the plush, Guinness-sponsored festival brochure describes this as ‘inaugural.’ Here’s to that.

The Irish Festival official page:  www.irishmusicsocietyofoulu.org/festival.htm
Festival schedule: http://www.65degreesnorth.com/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=196&Itemid=106



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