Welcome Home Festival!
After three long and difficult years , we were back! Yes, back in Enniscrone in Co. Sligo to enjoy once again our Welcome Home Festival which has been running every year since 2008.
It started with the opening of the Diamond Coast Hotel and it has been a big hit with our customers ever since. Each year, we fill the hotel with visitors from overseas but, what is so unique about this festival is that many of the visitors are originally from the area, and now reside in the UK or the USA. It provides an ideal opportunity to return home, meet up with old friends and family members. We enjoy great support from local people also who come to meet up with the visitors and of course enjoy the music and dancing that the event is also renowned for.
This year was no different and each afternoon and evening the hotel was packed with people, dining, wineing, listening and dancing and sharing in the joy of being back together after the pandemic. On Sunday afternoon Pat Jordan, our Entertainments Manager set the tone for the week with a sterling performance by himself and his keyboard player Kieran who is also a fine accordionist. They performed in the bar prior to the sessions which took place every night under the stewardship of Mick Mackey, ably assisted Sean Gilsenan, Pat Casey and Tom Forde. Prior to that, Ger Cornally with help from his pal Hughie Turner had installed a dance floor in the Ceili Room which according to all the reports will need to be increased in size for next year. In the evening Frank Nelson opened the proceedings in the main ballroom. Frank hails from Strokestown in Co. Roscommon and although he has been playing and singing around the area for the past thirty years or so, this was the first time that he had appeared at our Enniscrone event and a mighty job he did too! Taking the late spot on the opening night was Michael and Philomena O’Brien, husband and wife duo. They are a very dependable act and provide a great selection of music to dance to and both are excellent singers. Michael and Philomena have worked with us for many years.
Sean Sweeney and the Annaly took care of the ceili on Sunday evening. Sean, Paraic and Michael hail from Longford and Sean in particular, has travelled all over the world with us on various musical adventures, America and Australia to name but two!
Monday saw the Footappers taking care of the ceili. Pat Walsh and Tommy Doherty are now an established duo on the set-dancing scene. Pat travelled from Barcelona to be with us while Tommy came from just up the road a bit, from Foxford. They played for two ceilis and are always a joy to dance to! Break Free and Glenshane Country took care of the social dancing on the Monday. While Pat and Hughie of Glenshane fame have been working with us for several years, it was the first time for Break Free and I am happy to say that it won’t be the last.
On Tuesday, one of my own favourites took to the stage. Declan Aungier, who is, without doubt, one of the greatest accordionists in Ireland. He is a fine singer too but, his accordion music is out of this world. Wherever he goes he is assured of a great welcome! Popping in for a few songs on the night was the effervescent Mick Mulhern. This was a first for Mick at one of our events but he is now scheduled for Spain in 2023.
On the same night we also enjoyed the music of one of the most versatile musicians in Ireland, Stephen Smyth and his band. Without hesitation, I have to say that this trio is probably the best rehearsed band who present a high, octane, high volume, high speed, high energy performance that has the audience on their feet from the beginning right through to the end of their show. Stephen is a virtuso performer on the fiddle, on the saxophone, on the guitar and on several other instruments if he had the time. Ably assisted always by Chris Blair and John Taylor this is without doubt one of the most entertaining trios in Ireland to-day.
Wednesday was the turn of Muriel O’Connor and Fran Curry. These are two of Ireland’s finest singers, musicians and broadcasters and it is always a great pleasure to feature them on our events. They also present a fantastic hour of Country music every week on Sky TV and interview lots of big stars so, be sure to tune in occasionally.
The Joe Davitt duo took the late spot on Wednesday. Even though there are only two of them, they choose their music carefully and put on a great show. They are very dependable and have worked with us abroad also and are always able to rise to the big occasion. Joe and Derek will be with us in Spain again come April 2023.
Thursday was the last night of the festival and while one might say, “we kept the best wine for the last!”, in this case I have to say that in my professional opinion, every night was excellent and for that I have to thank my lifelong buddy Pat Jordan. On every event, he introduces a mix of new and old artistes and he produces great shows. Testimony to this is the fact that we always enjoy a very high level of repeat business and wherever we go, we fill the hotels and even though covid has taken its toll we are delighted to say that we are getting things back together again nicely and by 2023 life should have returned to normal.
And so, to the last night! Whether it is the Corofin Plain, the Cashel, the Caledonian or the Ballyvourney Jig set, the unmistakable sounds of the Johnny Reidy Ceili band gets everyone on the floor. The ceili room was jammed on Wednesday and Thursday evenings and I have already mentioned to Ger Cornally that we will have to install a much bigger floor for 2023. Johnny Reidy has worked with us for many years and it is always and ever the same. Whenever he starts playing the floor fills up immediately. We are looking forward to welcoming him back to Torremolinos on the Costa del Sol in Spain in April 2023. Also, on the Thursday night, the ballroom was bouncing initially to the dulcet tones of the one and only Dermot Hegarty of ‘Twenty One years’ fame. Dermot travelled over from the UK especially for the occasion and always puts on a great show. His afternoon appearance in the bar was also very entertaining. The last act of the festival was Frankie McDonald and his son Keith and their wonderful nostalgic Showband Show a fitting end to a great festival. Pat Jordan joined the boys on stage for the finale and in so doing brought another great event to a close. We are already planning 2023 and hopefully will have everything in place shortly, so don’t forget to keep an eye on our website for all the latest news.
And finally I have left this little piece of information to the last. Our new caller for the ceilis was a local man called Joe McGorrin from Grange in Co. Sligo. This was Joe’s first time with us and every day during the festival and indeed every day since we have been contacted constantly to make sure that we bring him to Spain next year. This is a measure of how good he is and it is a real find for us and I am now confirming that we have already asked Joe and he has said yes! Shortly after the event closed a young lady from Crossmolina sked me did I know anyone called Joe McGorrin. I said yes of course and she then handed me his wallet which she had found on the car-park as she was leaving for home. She a social dancer and a very honest one at that. She had not gone to the ceili and did not know Joe. I was able to contact him immediately and tell him that we had his wallet intact and that all he needed to do was return to the hotel sometime during the following day and collect it. That young lady’s name was Jennepher Callaghan and I have passed her contact details to Joe so that he can thank her personally for her noble and honest gesture!
So that’s it folks, until the next time!