Seán Keane launches Lár Lúnasa Live: Mayo festival for Sunflower Children’s Hospice
CELEBRATED musician and singer Seán Keane has officially launched Lár Lúnasa Live, a mid-August music and arts fundraising weekend in aid of the Sunflower Children’s Hospice, at a special event in Eileen’s Bar, Aghamore.
Lár Lúnasa Live will take place from Friday to Sunday, August 14 to 16, in Aghamore, with performances spread across Eileen’s Bar and the Big Red Barn. The three-day festival will feature a rich mix of trad, folk, country, bluegrass, jazz, pop, Spanish guitar, brass and reed classical, choral music, and more, alongside poets, visual artists, and writers.
Headline acts confirmed include Frankie Gavin, Seán Keane, Shaskeen, Piper’s Cross Céilí Band, and Music Generation Mayo Harp Ensemble on the trad and folk side, Robert Mizzell, Stewart Moyles and Carmel McLoughlin for country, and Emilie Conway and Castlerea Brass and Reed Band for jazz, among many others.
Every euro raised from Lár Lúnasa Live will go directly towards the building costs of the Sunflower Children’s Hospice (estimated at between €12m and €14m), which will be the first children’s hospice built outside Dublin since 2011.
Martina Jennings, CEO of Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation, spoke at the launch about the urgent need for the new facility.
“Currently Ireland has just one children’s hospice, located in Dublin, leaving families across the west with long, exhausting journeys or limited in-home support during the most difficult stages of their child’s illness. Research and lived experience have shown that families face inequitable access to care, limited respite options and insufficient support for siblings.
“The Sunflower Children’s Hospice is being developed by Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation to change this reality, ensuring families receive compassionate specialist care, close to home.”
She also acknowledged the tradition of community fundraising in Aghamore, noting that Trish and Joe Byrne had organised a similar music and arts event in the village exactly 20 years ago in August 2006. She also paid tribute to Dónal Byrne for his longstanding commitment to hospice fundraising.
Dónal Byrne, long time supporter for Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation and son of Joe and Trish Byrne, reflected on decades of fundraising in Aghamore, from 30-hour music marathons and dances in slatted barns to the six-mile ocean swims from Louisburgh to Clare Island.
He spoke about his inspiration for hospice fundraising - his childhood minder Martina Loftus, who encouraged him to organise a fundraising dance in Burke’s slatted barn in Cúigiú while bravely battling cancer. Two hugely successful events followed.
“I’m looking forward very much to Lár Lúnasa Live, a very enjoyable weekend of great music, dance and craic. As a long time supporter for Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation, I hope a very considerable amount of money will be raised for Sunflower Children’s Hospice, a really special cause,” said Donal.
Seán Keane, who performed on the big lorry stage at the 2006 Music Marathon in the village and is set to return to the stage of the Big Red Barn in August, formally declared Lár Lúnasa Live open. Reflecting on the importance of hospice care, he said: “Every family, including my own, has been affected by cancer at some time or another. Hospice are doing a wonderful job providing special care for those who are seriously ill and for their families.”
Seán later joined in with the musicians at the weekly Wednesday session, rounding off an evening that captured the warmth and community spirit at the heart of Lár Lúnasa Live.