New community festival for Nenagh

This Saturday night will see the first staging of Nenagh Summer Festival, a new event for the town planned in the wake of Castlefest.

The festival will take place at the Abbey Court Hotel and will feature live music, a DJ and food. It is intended as a community event similar event to Nenagh Castlefest, which is unfortunately not continuing this year. Though planned on a smaller scale, the organisers describe this weekend’s run as a “test festival” that may in time grow to become a bigger event. It will be in keeping with the Castlefest tradition as a free-of-charge festival for the local community.

“We want to do something that integrates with the local community and that’s what this festival is about,” said Marco Zinanni Sales & Marketing Manager at the Abbey Court Hotel. “If it goes well then we are going to look at going again next year, maybe as a full weekend festival with markets as well as the music.”

Mr Zinanni said the hotel is also looking to run similar events this July and August. The festival will seek to promote local music.

It will open with a live performance from Martin Grace – The Showband Man – at 5.30pm. This will take place in the hotel’s new tipi, which Mr Zinanni explained is actually three tipis combined in one setting, which has proven very popular since being made available for hosting functions last year.

The music then moves inside to the ballroom and continues with the band Keeper Lit between 8.30pm and 11pm. They will be followed by a DJ keeping the night going until 2am.

The hotel will also be laying on a special range of “street food” for festivalgoers to purchase on the night.

It is hoped that as many as 300 people will attend the festival. While there is no charge, people interested in going are asked to register on the Eventbrite website. Wristbands will be issued to those in attendance.

Note also that the Abbey Court is hosting live music in the bar every Friday and Saturday in July from 8.30pm.