Alison Crossey, Emma Robinson and Joanna Boyle together form the impressive Briste.

Cootehill trad weekend continues with Briste

The three-year hiatus is over and Cootehill is once again revelling in the 16th Gerry Whelan Memorial Weekend — an exhilarating and cheerful celebration of traditional Irish music, dance, song and storytelling.

Though well-established on the town’s annual calendar, the festival was put on hold in the face of the unprecedented Covid challenge.

However, organisers have a packed programme of cultural activities and entertainment to bring the Cootehill summer to a memorable and uplifting close.

Commemorating the late Gerry Whelan, a local captain of industry and lifelong supporter of the tradition and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, the festival had been continually growing in attendances and popularity up until its previous outing in 2019.

The fun got underway last night with a Memorial Concert and Official Opening featuring Tyrone’s all-Ireland winning Blackwater Céilí Band and a host of other talented local and visiting artists.

The quality entertainment continues with a CD launch by acclaimed band Briste. Bringing the musical talents of Alison Crossey (bodhran, guitar) and Emma Robinson (flute and whistles), both from Lurgan, and Glaslough’s Joanna Boyle (banjo and songs) together, they will perform in The West End Bar tonight, Saturday at 9pm; and a two-hour afternoon show by Monaghan’s RU4 Reel band will round off the festivities on the Market Street gig-rig at ‘Hub Muinchille’, the former Ulster Bank premises, on Sunday, September 11 at 3pm.

Cootehill town will be buzzing over the weekend, with both planned and impromptu sessions setting the pubs alight with local and visiting musicians alike.

Among the other events adding to this rich tapestry of culture will be singing and storytelling sessions, the ever-popular Irish conversational ‘Caint agus Comhrá’, street music, recitals and the Festival Folk Club.

For anyone, young or old, interested in taking up an instrument or improving their skills, workshops with accomplished exponents on fiddle, button accordion, tin whistle/flute, and banjo/mandolin can be availed of too.

See gerrywhelanweekend.com or look it up on Facebook for details of all the above; also, call Loreto McMenamin (087 858 6773) or Sandra Sherlock (087 772 3595) for concert tickets or workshop bookings, or for general enquiries.