Sun shines on Home to Mayo Tradfest launch

THE sun was shining bright to welcome home the Mayo Manchester Tradfest to Castlebar for its launch in the town centre.

Local councillors and officials were on hand to welcome the award-winning Tradfest when they performed outside the HQ of Mayo County Council on the Mall and in the Market Square where the newly installed outdoor seating accommodated the crowds who came out to support the appearance of the Fianna Phadraig Pipe Band.

The band then marched to the Educate together School to a rapturous welcome from the pupils and staff, and their tour of Castlebar continued with a parade along the Main Street to the Linenhall. There they staged a promenade performance outside and inside the centre before enjoying refreshments with staff and visitors.

Tony Hennigan from Mayo Manchester commented: “It was great to begin the festival in the market town. We are indebted to Councillors Blackie Gavin and Michael Kilcoyne for their support and invitation to stage one of our main events in Castlebar. We got a great reception from the visitors and business owners in the town and it was great to see the schoolchildren’s reaction to our performance. They kept shouting for more and wanted to have a go on the instruments.”

Said Councillor Blackie Gavin: “It is great to see Mayo Manchester and the diaspora back in Mayo and myself and Councillor Kilcoyne were only too delighted to play our part in supporting this festival which is bring back tourists home to Mayo.”

This was just one of the seven main events taking place for the for the week-long festival, which kicked off last Thursday and is one of the flagship events for Mayo.ie's Home to Mayo month-long festival. There are also more 40 fringe events. Venues include Achill, Ashford Castle, Ballina, Ballinrobe, Cong and Killala.

To find out more about what's still to come from Tradfest, which continues until Tuesday, May 31, see www.mayomanchester.com.