Attendances at the 16th Annual Terryglass Arts Festival were significantly higher than previous years with many of the night events sold out.
The festival which concluded last Sunday featured Ireland’s foremost singer songwriter, Jimmy MacCarthy, who performed to a sellout audience in Terryglass Church on Friday night and champion male voice harmony quartet ‘4 in a Bar’ who entertained with a repertoire of traditional, classical, pop and barbershop music.
The festival was officially opened by internationally acclaimed Visual Artist Joy Gerrard on Wednesday next (13th August). A native of the area, Joy was commissioned to create an artwork on Lough Derg, ‘Permanent Rainbows’, for this year’s festival.
Delighting audiences with its wildly funny and wickedly surreal satire was “The Year of the Moving Statues”, performed by the Rural Vernacular Company on Thursday night.
The Army Band of the 2nd Brigade provided the music at Terryglass Quay on Saturday night 16th August followed by an after dark monster fireworks display which lit up the night sky for miles around.
A hit with all ages was the Family Fun Day on Sunday 17th August which featured “The Gingerbreadman” puppet show from Miriam Lambert puppets, Creative Cave where children could let their creative side run free and a street performance from Buí Bolg.
Local food producers and craftspeople showcased their produce to visitors from far and wide offering tastings and demonstrations from the best Co. Tipperary artisan producers. Providing a musical backdrop for Sunday’s Family Day was The Blood Red Mountain Band followed by Galway band Mikey and the Scallywags.
Speaking at the festival opening on Wednesday night, Chairperson Andrea Egan paid tribute to the 16 member volunteer committee who were responsible for putting the festival together.
She also thanked the festival’s volunteers and sponsors especially the local business community for their continued support over the past 16 years.