Very often wild claims are made that a particular event is ’growing in stature’; ‘going from strength to strength’; or ‘improving with every passing year’, when everyone knows that in fact, it is struggling to stay afloat. All of these claims in respect of the Guinness Féile na nDéise, held over the May Bank Holiday weekend in Dungarvan, County Waterford each year, would still fall well short of the facts, for, in truth, it is one of the strongest and fastest growing festivals on the circuit at the moment. Each year the Féile draws more and more visitors from home and abroad.

The growing number who have come to know and love the event for its top quality music, dance and range of street entertainment, will look forwardly eagerly to this year’s May Bank Holiday weekend. The melodic strains of the fiddle, box and flute wafting on the spring breeze across Grattan Square, will be as food and drink to a newly-rescued sailor, marooned on a desert island for two years.

Strengthened by the sponsorship of Guinness and supported by a long list of local sponsors, patrons and friends of the Festival, the Féile promises an annual ‘feast of entertainment’, since the foundation of the festival in 1995.

Back then they promised that if people followed the music to Dungarvan they could find 18 music sessions in 16 pubs, over five nights, four days with three concerts, in three hotels along with two Céilís and no sleep. This promise is even more valid today (almost all of those figures have been increased) and you will still find little enough time for sleep.

While other festivals struggle to add frills and flounces, sideshows and trimmings, the tireless Féile committee concentrates its collective effort in sourcing the best of artistes and presenting them to the people in a variety of locations and situations, both indoors and out. Performers and musical groups from all over Ireland and Europe have performed at Guinness Féile na nDéise over the years.

The public who have attended previous festivals, are only too well aware that it is a true celebration of Irish culture and heritage, appealing to the majority of our people. It is meant to be a celebration of all that is good and attractive in our Irish way of life, not in a sterile or exclusive way, but in a happy, all-embracing, fun-filled and educational manner across the spectrum of music, song, dance, storytelling as well as our native tongue.

The Guinness Féile na nDéise provides a range of entertainment to satisfy all enthusiasts of traditional Irish culture, music and heritage.