After a one-year hiatus from the weekend event, Irelands folkiest and friendliest Festival is back. Spirit of Folk, boasting a programme that includes falconry, astronomy, experimental archeology and a stellar musical lineup, will return this year from Friday 19^th to Sunday 21^st of September at Dunderry Park, Co. Meath. 

Festival organiser, Natasha Duffy, commented: ‘Due to popular demand, this year we will bring back the original two day festival which was so successful in our first year and second year. Festivities will be kicking off on Friday evening and the fest will finish up at Sunday lunchtime.’ 

The team at Spirit of Folk are hard at work already to bring together the best folk and traditional music, storytelling, battle reenactments, holistic therapies and of course lots of entertainment for kids. And this year, for the first time ever, Spirit of Folk will also be organising tours to local sites such as the Hill of Tara and Sliabh na Callaich for interested festival-goers, making this unique boutique festival a chance to really immerse yourself in Ireland’s rich folk heritage and experience the magic of the Spirit of Folk! 

The Festival, which began in 2011, was set up by sister-duo Natasha and Emily Duffy, who wanted to look at fun and exciting ways to celebrate and explore Ireland’s rich heritage. ‘We wanted people to come to the event and have a really fun time, but also to bring something home with them, whether that be a story about Cú Chulainn, a new found love of archery or maybe some new festival friends. In fact Spirit of Folk is all about the people and it’s this feedback that we get time and time again, how it’s all about the wonderful people, community atmosphere and vibe that bring people back year after year.” 

One of the new features this year is a project entitled ‘Digital Whispers’. Since the beginning a lot of effort has been put into making the Storytelling programme at the Spirit of Folk Festival as rich as possible and this year everyone will have a chance to contribute. ‘Digital Whispers’ will be hosted in our very special storytelling venue, a replica megalithic cairn and will look at how stories can migrate though time, art and technology. 

The Spirit of Folk team is now issuing an official call out for Bands and Musicians to apply to play at the event. Spirit of Folk are looking for exciting and versatile acts influenced by folk, Traditional Irish, Bluegrass or Country genres and you can currently apply through their website www.spiritoffolk.com                       

Tickets for the event go on sale at the end of June but due to a limited supply you can reserve in advance by emailing [email protected].