By Dan Walsh
The 33rd Blackstairs Blues Festival brings a musical atmosphere to Enniscorthy this weekend kicking off at 6.30pm on Friday with Garry Cogdell (USA) and Dermot Byrne playing at Stamps in Market Square.
Free sessions will then take place in Dawsons, Rackards, Treacy’s Hotel, Holohans, The Antique Tavern, Riverside Park Hotel, the IFA Centre and The Bailey, with fringe events at Enniscorthy Library and the Athenaeum Hall. The weekend concludes on Monday at 8.30pm with a Survivors Gig by Austin Walkin Cane and the BC Blues Band in Holohans.
According to a spokesperson; “the festival will feature a massive variety of styles, from intimate acoustic sessions and traditional Chicago blues to high-energy blues-rock performances hosted across local pubs, hotel stages, and community venues.”
First established in 1995, the event holds a legendary place on the Irish music calendar as Ireland’s longest continuously running blues festival. What started as a modest gathering in Bobbie Rackard’s pub on Rafter Street has grown into a landmark regional event, taking over the entire town every September.
The festival is backed by the Enniscorthy Municipal District providing €2,500 thanks to the Arts Office Small Arts festival Fund and Fáilte Ireland Festival Scheme.
The full programme of events is available at all venues and other outlets in Enniscorthy and on the Blues Ireland website.
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