Sunshine and smiles all round as seaside Wexford village revives summer festival
There were smiles and laughter galore in Duncannon, Co. Wexford this week, as local representatives joined residents from the village to celebrate the launch of this year's festival, which has been missed by many in its absence.
The revival of the annual festival has been announced by the Duncannon Village Renewal Committee, with an extensive number of events to be held on Saturday, July 26. During the launch, Director Clare Power highlighted plans for the many opportunities for the public to discover and enjoy the treasures of at Duncannon's golden-sands beach, its historic military fort and the ocean shoreline.
Ms Power also highlighted plans for a grand finale, that will include an open-air concert on the village green by the hugely popular band, the Controversial All Stars, and a near-shore fireworks display by Rocket Pyrotechnics. 'With the great groundswell of community support we've received, we're bringing back our beloved annual festival and building it up over the next couple of years,' Clare added.
The Duncannon Festival will also include food for curious minds, and hungry stomachs, which will be fed by the festival partner, SEA School, where children and their parents will be encouraged to explore the marine treasures of Duncannon's rich shoreline while having a lot of fun doing so. Seal Rescue Ireland will also be on hand to help them learn about protecting marine mammals, with the goal of educating all about the steps to be taken to protect and care for waterways, coastline and sea. All efforts are designed to contribute to Duncannon's campaign to win back its Blue Flag status after an absence of 17 years.
The hunger will well and truly be kept at bay by Duncannon's great local businesses including Roche's Bar, The Strand Bar, The Wild Rose, Luca's Fish & Chip Shop and The Shop at Shoreline, all of which are located in the heart of the village. In addition, the public will have a great opportunity to sample and buy local food and beverages as well as handcrafts and other products at Duncannon Fort during the day, which is currently undergoing extensive works under the steer of District Manager, Alan Fitzhenry.
'It's an absolute honour to be standing here today, both as your local TD and as the Ceann Comhairle,' Deputy Murphy said as she addressed those in attendance. 'It's a huge honour to represent Wexford,' she continued, as she commended the sense of 'community spirit' in Duncannon, along with the driven commitment from locals to taking on the responsibility of operating the festival.
The Ceann Comhairle also highlighted that the future of the county 'is in great hands' as the artwork for the festival was unveiled at the event, which was drawn and designed by primary school student, Eve Butler.
The attendance of local Councillor, Marty Murphy, and Deputy George Lawlor was also acknowledged by the Ceann Comhairle who stated that 'it's a testament to the community spirit that Duncannon is getting support from the local county council, which is great and it means there's great organisation and commitment shown.'
Deputy Murphy said she looks forward to seeing works and projects in the area being carried out by the council in coming to their fruition, and reiterated her support for Duncannon Fort to become the fifth tourist attraction in the Ring of Hook initiative.
On a personal note, the Deputy concluded by saying: 'I had some friends at the weekend, who said 'it was like heaven' here in south Wexford. The sun shone, the people were so friendly and they thought the hospitality was 'just fabulous'. That's what we need to keep in mind as we continue to push to put it on the map."
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Irish Independent
23-05-2025
- Irish Independent
Sunshine and smiles all round as seaside Wexford village revives summer festival
There were smiles and laughter galore in Duncannon, Co. Wexford this week, as local representatives joined residents from the village to celebrate the launch of this year's festival, which has been missed by many in its absence. The revival of the annual festival has been announced by the Duncannon Village Renewal Committee, with an extensive number of events to be held on Saturday, July 26. During the launch, Director Clare Power highlighted plans for the many opportunities for the public to discover and enjoy the treasures of at Duncannon's golden-sands beach, its historic military fort and the ocean shoreline. Ms Power also highlighted plans for a grand finale, that will include an open-air concert on the village green by the hugely popular band, the Controversial All Stars, and a near-shore fireworks display by Rocket Pyrotechnics. 'With the great groundswell of community support we've received, we're bringing back our beloved annual festival and building it up over the next couple of years,' Clare added. The Duncannon Festival will also include food for curious minds, and hungry stomachs, which will be fed by the festival partner, SEA School, where children and their parents will be encouraged to explore the marine treasures of Duncannon's rich shoreline while having a lot of fun doing so. Seal Rescue Ireland will also be on hand to help them learn about protecting marine mammals, with the goal of educating all about the steps to be taken to protect and care for waterways, coastline and sea. All efforts are designed to contribute to Duncannon's campaign to win back its Blue Flag status after an absence of 17 years. The hunger will well and truly be kept at bay by Duncannon's great local businesses including Roche's Bar, The Strand Bar, The Wild Rose, Luca's Fish & Chip Shop and The Shop at Shoreline, all of which are located in the heart of the village. In addition, the public will have a great opportunity to sample and buy local food and beverages as well as handcrafts and other products at Duncannon Fort during the day, which is currently undergoing extensive works under the steer of District Manager, Alan Fitzhenry. 'It's an absolute honour to be standing here today, both as your local TD and as the Ceann Comhairle,' Deputy Murphy said as she addressed those in attendance. 'It's a huge honour to represent Wexford,' she continued, as she commended the sense of 'community spirit' in Duncannon, along with the driven commitment from locals to taking on the responsibility of operating the festival. The Ceann Comhairle also highlighted that the future of the county 'is in great hands' as the artwork for the festival was unveiled at the event, which was drawn and designed by primary school student, Eve Butler. The attendance of local Councillor, Marty Murphy, and Deputy George Lawlor was also acknowledged by the Ceann Comhairle who stated that 'it's a testament to the community spirit that Duncannon is getting support from the local county council, which is great and it means there's great organisation and commitment shown.' Deputy Murphy said she looks forward to seeing works and projects in the area being carried out by the council in coming to their fruition, and reiterated her support for Duncannon Fort to become the fifth tourist attraction in the Ring of Hook initiative. On a personal note, the Deputy concluded by saying: 'I had some friends at the weekend, who said 'it was like heaven' here in south Wexford. The sun shone, the people were so friendly and they thought the hospitality was 'just fabulous'. That's what we need to keep in mind as we continue to push to put it on the map."
Irish Examiner
19-05-2025
- Irish Examiner
There He Goes: John Power of Cast on supporting Oasis, and his proud Waterford links
John Power remembers his first meeting with Liam Gallagher. Power was on his way to see a gig by The La's, the band he had just left, when he was approached by a teenage Mancunian. "This lad came up to me and asked for a smoke, I told him to piss off,' recalls Power. ' A couple of years later Oasis were doing a gig in Liverpool and had appeared on The Word playing Supersonic. Liam came over and said: 'I asked you for a smoke and you told me to piss off'. We just both burst out laughing." There's been a long history between Oasis and John Power. The Scouse-Irish songwriter and now frontman of Cast was a teenager himself when he first joined The La's in 1986, the Liverpool band fronted by and mercurial magus Lee Mavers. "At the height of it, it was like nourishment," explains Power of the band's mystical sea shanties, Mersey melodies, and spirited flamenco rhythms. "How can you not be blown away by songs like Son of Gun when you are that age and learning the guitar? There were Biblical highs, there was something eternal within The La's and with Lee's songwriting, the waters were crystal clear and you could baptise yourself within them. I couldn't play before that, with those songs they were the first bass lines I played and understood. 'It all felt very natural, Lee was like a mentor and a massive influence on my songwriting and it was a beautiful part of my life". While The La's made only one self-titled album, released in 1990, featuring their hit There She Goes, Power would go on to form Cast two years later. The songwriting he had begun when he was with The La's began to pay off with his subsequent band, with hits such as Alright and Sandstorm from Cast's debut album All Change. Later this year, the band will tour the 30th anniversary of the long-player. Before that series of gigs, they also have the small matter of supporting Oasis on tour, including both Dublin concerts in August. 'It's the biggest tour of the year, if not the decade," says Power. Though Liverpool and Manchester have keen football-related rivalries, both cities also have much in common, not least large populations of people of Irish origin. "We all have those working-class Irish connections,' says Power of the Oasis tour. It was in January 2024 that Power posted an image on social media of him holding up his Irish passport with a pint of Guinness. "I feel very proud to be a Scouse Irishman," he confirms. "Power is a big name in Waterford where my dad was from. Unfortunately, he's no longer with us but he would be proud that I've got that passport. 'It's given me an identity because coming from Liverpool there were plenty of times I was asked as a young lad to 'speak the Queen's English'. I don't think we are fully accepted, I used to look at myself as British thinking the shore binds us but the Irish identity has given me something inside, I'm from Liverpool but I'm Scouse-Irish". Noel Gallagher is quoted as saying Oasis came to finish what The La's started. As Power suggests, Oasis gave Cast "a bump" when asking them to play support in May 1994 at The Venue in New Cross, London. "I remembered Noel from when he was a roadie with Inspiral Carpets back when The La's played at G-Mex in Manchester. We were always zig-zagging and crossing paths. John Power, on right, with The La's. 'Cast got a record deal from that gig in New Cross and then Noel would give us a shout for gigs like Irvine Beach, Loch Lomond and Knebworth." After inertia had set in for The La's, Power grew frustrated at just playing the same songs, and departed in 1991. A year later Cast soon managed to build on a head of steam with a memorable sonic force during performances that buried those previous disappointments. "Before it happens you are working spiritually and physically towards a dream,' explains Power. "As a band, we were all connected to it and cutting it live, through that you are discovering this new ground, it's like heading towards the promised land. We knew we would see it and we were getting there which gave us that strength. 'When you do break, it's all about maintaining it like with Oasis or U2 you go into another stratosphere but for most of us having a top ten record, getting on Top of the Pops and meeting the fans; that's as good as it's ever going to be and that's more than most bands ever get a whiff of. At that time you can feel it happening and no one can get in the way or tell you otherwise.' Cast and The Verve both made an impact on Oasis fans as support at the 1995 shows at Irvine Beach, Scotland. As Cast walked off stage Noel Gallagher remarked that it was "like a religious experience". The line was picked up by a journalist and quoted in the press. "Fine Time was massive in Scotland before we had a hit with it," adds Power of the experience. "People would go off their nut." Oasis gifted coveted support slots to both bands at key gigs, and it was fitting that both The Verve's frontman Richard Ashcroft and Cast would both be invited back 30 years later for the long-awaited reunion. "I think we are all really looking forward to seeing Noel and Liam walk on that stage together again," says Power. "Cast is in such a great place and we've got momentum, it's going to be a big year. The line-up is stratospheric with Richard Ashcroft as well; it's real northern soul rock'n'roll and here we all are thirty years later.' Age has given Power a slightly different perspective on the experience this time around. 'It was easy to miss things back then because I was always looking forward; when the Oasis tour becomes the present time I'll be in the eye of the hurricane and right in the presence of it in all these places like Dublin, Edinburgh, Cardiff and the rest of them". 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Irish Times
14-05-2025
- Irish Times
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