I run Ireland's best kept secret festival with stacked line-up in tiny village of 300 – it's worlds away from my day job
Some 20,000 punters are expected in Emo, Co
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Philip Meagher was working behind the scenes at Electric Picnic for years
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The festival will take place in the small town of Emo, Co Laois
But it's the middle-aged attendees who the sponsors are more interested in - many of whom have kids who have grown up so they have lots of disposable income to spend.
Philip Meagher told
'We have missed out on a lot of
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'But we want to run a true
Philip, a well-known solicitor in Portlaoise, told how he shares similar views on how festivals should be run with his late friend John Reynolds - the founder of the
Philip said: 'I think John is smiling down on Forest Fest this weekend, telling me how mad I am to do it.
'Because I was part of the original Electric Picnic team for the first five years, doing all the legals.
'It was one hell of a carnival ride so I got to know John very well.
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'He was an absolute visionary and genuinely loved in the industry.
'He could persuade you into doing anything, not because he was forceful but because he was a very nice man that people wanted to help.
The pint-sized Glastonbury with healing area and kid's zone
"Like John, I'm a great believer in being decent and kind to people.'
The weather gods seem to be smiling down on Forest Fest along with John Reynolds, as the forecast for the festival this weekend is both warm and dry.
Philip said: 'It's a great forecast for the rest of the week, dry and up to twenty degrees.
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"But best of all no rain, and no wind which is great from a production point of view.
'Friday in particular is a cracker of a day with Saturday just as good.
SELL OUT GIG
"There might be a bit of cloud on Sunday but we're delighted with the news.'
Amid the
Philip said: 'The
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'We have missed out on a lot of money from sponsors who want to have a presence down here because our punters are older and have more disposable income than the kids who attend younger festivals."
Philip Meagher
Over a thousand
Some 20,000 people are expected to attend the three-day event, swelling the village of Emo which has a population of 300.
Philip said: 'The people attending take over Emo and the surrounding areas. This is the biggest Forest Fest we have ever done.'
BIGGER AND BETTER
Forest Fest organisers maintain they are 'deliberately prioritising atmosphere and experience over commerciality'.
Philip said: 'We've got bigger and bigger from word of mouth. But if people come on a promise, and the staging is crap, they won't come back.
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"But we've connected, not just to the punters, but to the acts as well.
"That's why the names playing have gotten better and better each year.'
JACK OF ALL TRADES
Other well-known acts playing over the four stages include
Orbital, The Stranglers, Billy Bragg, Peter Hook & The Light, Reef, Kula Shaker, Therapy?, Teenage Fanclub, The Farm, and Pillow Queens.
Some big Irish acts including Hermitage Green, Something Happens, and The Riptide Movement.
But festival boss Philip won't have time to see them all.
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Like pal John Reynolds, who was once spotted trying to fix a gate during the Electric Picnic, Philip is not afraid to take any job that needs doing at his event.
He said: 'I was on site this morning from half seven but I had to go into the village to buy a tin of paint.
"There's something that needs a good coat and I'll be painting it.'
To find about more about the event visit
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Forest Fest is a weekend dedicated to arts and music
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20,000 festivalgoers are expected to attend this weekend
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Philip said he turned down huge money from sponsors so the festival would remain 'pure'
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