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From showbands to showcasing legendary wordsmiths, folk concerts to tea parties, Omagh Music Festival promises to turn back the time in the town by showcasing the pearls of the musical past.
The weekend launches at 8pm on Thursday, September 29 with the opening of a dedicated exhibition, ‘Presenting the Omagh Showbands’.
The displays will tell the story of the Omagh showbands, while an interesting audio-visual presentation will bring the era to life. The evening will be made even more special with a performance by St Eugene’s Brass and Reed Band, who played a huge part in the social story of the showbands and the town.
On Friday, September 30, enjoy Omagh’s ‘Trad Folk’ concert with MC Tom Sweeney. The concert will feature a performance by Tom, and All-Ireland Fleádh champion musicians, including The McGlinchey Family, The McKenna Family, Shane McAleer, Mark McCausland, Jerome McGlynn, Matt McGlinn, Ciara Fox and more.
The evening will highlight Arty McGlynn’s musical history, and the great wordsmith, Felix Kearney.
On Saturday, October 1, you can take a step back in time, and enjoy ‘The Showband Concert’ hosted by Frank Galligan. Co-ordinated by Dominic Kirwan and Ray Moore, the audience will hear hits from showbands, such as The Melody Aces, The Plattermen, The Polka Dots, Brian Coll and the Buckaroos, Derrick and The Sounds, along with performances from Frankie McBride, Ray Moore, The Coll Brothers, Tony Hutchinson, Dominic Kirwan and more.
The Omagh Music Festival will end with a ‘Vintage Tea Dance’ on Sunday, October 2. The afternoon tea dance will be a fitting end to a wonderful weekend of nostalgia, as well as bringing the story of Omagh’s musical history to a new generation.
Other events as part of the festival include free guided walking tours of the Omagh Music Heritage Trail, which will take you on a dander around Omagh to hear about the dances and memories from the showband era.
Sweet Omagh Town Radio will air interviews of local musicians and singers throughout the weekend. St Eugene’s Brass and Reed Band will play a special pop-up performance in Omagh Town Centre on Saturday, October 1.
Enjoy ‘A Conversation With…’, facilitated by Paddy Hunter, to listen to stories from those who performed in and those that enjoyed the Showbands.
And that’s not all: You can also enjoy an additional pop-up ‘Remembering The Showbands’ photo exhibition in the Omagh Library, presented by Philip Darcy, as a part of this special weekend of activities.
The Omagh Music Festival will take place in the Strule Arts Centre, Omagh from Thursday, September 29, to Sunday, October 2, 2022 – and it is one not to be missed!
l To book your tickets, please visit: ‘www.struleartscentre.co.u
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