16th Dan Furey Festival Programme Announced

Arts and Entertainment - Music

Tuesday, 10 August 2010 09:32

Written by Denise Lyons

The sixteenth annual Dan Furey Weekend of Set-dancing will be held in Labasheeda on the weekend of 3rd-5th September this year.

The festival in memory of Dan, who dedicated his life to teaching the dances of the Labasheeda area, has become the focal point for the community over the years. Dan Furey and his friend James Keane came to national and international prominence in their latter years particularly through the Willie Clancy Festival and they travelled all over Ireland and abroad teaching set and stepdancing.

The festival will be officially opened on Friday night at 9.30pm by former chairman, John Malone, who worked tirelessly during his years of chairmanship, this is followed by dancing to The Abbey Céili Band.

On Saturday morning Timmy Woulfe, from Athea Co. Limerick will take the set-dancing workshop in St. Kieran’s Centre beginning at 10.30am.

Special emphasis is being placed on the step-dancing class again this year. Labasheeda is privileged to have Michael Tubridy again to teach dances such as The Priest and his Boots, the Gabhairín Buí and Single Time and we encourage as many as possible to attend on Saturday morning at 10.30am in the local primary school.

Music for the Saturday afternoon céili is provided by the Copper Plate Céili Band at 3pm and the renowned Kilfenora Céili Band are onstage at 10pm on Saturday night.

A busy Sunday morning starts with prayers in the cemetery for Dan and James at 10.30am followed by dancing at the Battery Fortress in Kilkerrin. The fancy dress and float parade begins at 1.30pm followed by the afternoon céili with the ever-popular Johnny Reidy Céili Band. The festival comes to an end on Sunday night with céili and old time dancing with Micheál Sexton and P.J. Murrihy. The organising committee has again ensured that the very best of bands are brought to St. Kieran’s Centre and extends a céad mile fáilte to all of our visitors this year.