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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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Sligo Ukers performing in Lyon's Bar during the Ukulele Céilí last weekend
Longford's infatuation with the small instrument that enjoys a big following was abundantly clear last weekend as the Ukulele Céilí drew ukers from across the globe to town.
The Céili was a feast of concerts, street events, competitions, workshops and more.
Festival Coordinator, Lisa Brady, was delighted with how the weekend went: “It was incredible. For year two of a niche festival it really was a roaring success.”
The 2023 lineup of artists included local acts The Sneaky Tequilas and The Coffee Beans. The musicians were joined by national acts Ukulele Tuesday, Galway Ukers, Ukulele Sligo and Elena Duff. The Saturday night concert by Ukulele Tuesday was a real crowd pleaser.
The weekend was packed with things to do for music lovers and musicians including a festival music club, ukulele workshops and master classes, and the all-day entertainment.
“One of the high points of the festival were the workshops,” Lisa told the Leader, “We were overwhelmed by the demand for places, but we managed to accommodate everyone. We have over 60 participants, young and old, taking part in both Elena Duff and David Crowe's workshops.
The Festival camp site in Connolly Barracks drew a large crowd: “We had people from Antrim, Donegal, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Sligo, and Tyrone. Ukulele enthusiasts are a rare breed. They will travel anywhere for a ukulele céili. We had a couple from France who are spending six weeks travelling to ukulele events in Ireland. They are great fun.”
Longford judge grants licence to Marquee in Drumlish Festival
Preparations for the 2023 Marquee in Drumlish Festival are well advanced with the line-up in place, and the licensing application for the event was also approved at last week's District Court sitting.
One of the big draws of the festival was the UkoVision Junior Song Contest on Saturday. The venue of the Market Square had to be changed because of the inclement weather: “We had to make some adjustments because we were washed out on the Saturday afternoon, but we just had to deal with it.”
Lisa says plans are already in train for next year: “We are already picking our dates. We foresee it going from strength to strength.”
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