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SOF 2012 Festival Press Release!

Spirit of Folk ends festival season with an inspiring and original array of activities.

Shortlisted in 2011 for ‘Best New Festival’ in the European Festival awards, Spirit of Folk returns this September 21st-23rd with a unique slant on the traditional Irish camping festival. The festival prides itself on it’s well defined niche, and promises to celebrate the harvest season in style amongst the stunning backdrop of Dunderry Park, Co. Meath.

Festival Organisers are eager to stress that the event is much more than your average music festival. Festival Manager, Emily Duffy said, “Spirit of Folk is about bringing people of all ages together to create, learn, interact and have fun, we want to create a playground, for kids of all ages”. Indeed, an eccentric array of activities will be on offer all weekend to delight and entertain audiences. With Traditional Storytelling from Ireland’s best Seanachaí, Eddie Lenihan and Pat Speight, interactive Viking re-enactments, Falconry displays, Archery lessons, Battle Re-enactments and Wildlife Walks ran by the Wildlife Trust, Spirit of Folk promises to deliver to those seeking an alternative family weekend. 

Folk music enthusiasts will not be disappointed either, with Irish folk legends John Spillane, Tír na nÓg and Jig Away the Donkey gracing the stage, as well as folk revivalists Lisa O’Neill, The Henry Girls and Spook of the Thirteenth Lock. The festival will also boast it’s first international act, with the Glastonbury folk-rock favourites ‘Treetop Flyers’ lending their sounds to the festivities. 

For those looking for a little luxury, ‘Glamping’, will be available from Silk Road Tents, allowing patrons to rent boutique tipi’s for the weekend with beds and furniture included. There’ll also be the opportunity to experience holistic pampering in a traditional yurt, with Massage, Reiki, Acupuncture and Reflexology available all weekend. The opportunity to expand your mind will be ever present at the festival, with talks and workshops running on the History of Astronomy, The Irish Badger, Viking Settlement in Ireland as well as Yoga, Druidic and Shamanic ceremony and Mandala meditations

Ecology will also be a huge part of the festival this year, with The Organic Centre hosting workshops on composting and interactive seed games, whilst the Wildlife Trust will be running Wildlife Walks all weekend in order to educate on the ecology of the surrounding area. Talks will also be held on the history of Permaculture and Gardening. Festival Director, Martin Duffy adds “We pride ourselves on being a festival that educates as well as entertains, we feel it’s important that people come away from Spirit of Folk feeling a little more enriched and inspired than when they came.”

In the Spirit of enriching folk, the festival will try it’s hand at original theatre this year with ‘The return of the Fianna’ a witty and original play by David Philips. In partnership with The Gaiety School of acting, the play will be performed in ‘The Hall of Heroes’ at Spirit of Folk and will run on the Saturday and Sunday for your viewing pleasure.

The ‘Hall of Heroes’, which has become known as the hub of SOF’s eccentricity will boast interactive activities such as ‘Blind Date’, a ‘Lovely Girl’s’ competition, ‘Spirit of Folk’s got Talent’, Bingo and the now infamous ‘Setanta Challenge’. This will be the late night venue at Spirit of Folk and promises to live up to it’s reputation as the best fun you’ll ever have. 

With the additions to an already strong line-up, Spirit of Folk, which is being supported by Meath Partnership’s LEADER program, promises to be a unique, boutique event which can offer a spot of sunshine before the end of the summer. 

Spirit of Folk runs from Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd September. Weekend camping tickets start at €85. Day tickets cost €45, and children under 14 can go free. More information on the festival, including the full line-up and range of activities can be found at www.spiritoffolk.com

For more information, contact Festival Director, Natasha Duffy on 087 7835372 or email using the conact page.