One of the biggest musical success stories in Tuam returns to the town in September, when the third Tuam Trad Festival takes place.
Some of the many musicians who will be playing at the festival will be present for the launch, which takes place in The Rustic Vaults in Tuam this Friday at 8.30pm.

For the past two years the trad festival has resulted in a welcome bonanza for local pubs which host music sessions throughout the day and night during the three-day event.

Festival organiser Ann Coen said the vast majority of pubs in Tuam had again come on board for this year’s Festival and added that such was its status that performers from around the country were asking to be included.

Last year traditional Irish music fans from Australia, Newfoundland and the Netherlands visited for the festival and were delighted at what they found.

They were particularly pleased at the fact that they could move from pub to pub at any time of the day or night and find a session taking place to a packed house.

“It has become an established event on the traditional Irish music circuit. Many performers are now asking to become involved and we are only too willing to accommodate them,” said Ann who announced that the trad festival will take place from September 14 to 16.

Appearing at this Friday night’s launch will be Claddagh Ceol, who released their first album The Wind in the Valley earlier this year, and Ann Kirrane, whose debut CD, One Small Star has been very well received.

The members of Claddagh Ceol are uilleann pipe player Michael Vignoles, who also makes uilleann pipes and bodhráns and will be giving a workshop at the Tuam Trad Festival; accordion player Gary Quinn; his brother Kieran Quinn on banjo and mandolin; and guitar player and vocalist Norrie Keane.

Apart from the trad music sessions, the Tuam Trad Festival will also have a number of workshops conducted by participating musicians, who will all come together for a session of their own once the workshops are concluded.

The Festival will kick off with an opening ceremony in the Square in Tuam while on the Sunday of the event there will be a Mass in Irish at which many of the musicians will perform.

The trad festival generates around a half a million euro spend in Tuam.

This year’s event will be launched by Cllr Larry Bane, a traditional music enthusiast who complimented those organising the event for the work involved in bringing more than 100 performers to the North Galway town.