STRUMMING ALONG as the smell of rustic burning coal tinged the air, the West Cork Ukulele Orchestra filled the gardens with their eclectic sound.
They were playing at the launch of boutique music festival Liss Ard, nestled in Liss Ard estate in Skibbereen, Co Cork.
The festival, taking place on August 4th and 5th, originally began in 1997. It had hosted the likes of Lou Reed and Nick Cave but was stalled for a number of years.
Its return will see headline acts such as Chic, Maytal, Mick Flannery, Lisa Hannigan and the West Cork Ukulele Orchestra take to its stages to perform. There will also be a literary stage, hosting poets and novelists for literature lovers.
Winding pathways with foxgloves, ponds, fields of wildflowers and nooks and crannies galore await festivalgoers on the 200-acre estate.
The estate’s James Turrell Irish Sky Garden really stands out. This is a large basin of grass that is accessed by a long, dark tunnel. In the centre is a plinth, upon which visitors are invited to lie and view the artist’s garden – the sky.
“It’s almost like a cathedral, it has got a very sacred feel to it. It is a really wonderful space,” said Liss Ard estate’s Arthur Little.
Liss Ard estate, which was built in the 1850s, boasts a rich history. It was even used as a spy ring by the Swiss in the 1970s.
“In the mid to late 1990s the first boutique festivals were created here in Liss Ard. Performers included Van Morrison, Patti Smith and Michael Stipe, and there were in the region of eight or 10 different stages. Even today, nearly 20 years later, people are still talking about those festivals. Last year we recommenced and reconnected with that musical history and we have come back with Liss Ard Festival 2012,” Mr Little said.
Declan McCarthy has been involved in promoting music and arts events in west Cork for more than 20 years and is closely involved with Liss Ard festival.
“There is a great variety of music – traditional, solo fiddle music, harpists coming from the Shetland Islands. This is the brand new Liss Ard festival, and it is going to be the best,” he said.
Although admission is for over-18s, the festival is also child friendly, welcoming under 12s for free and hosting a children’s area on site. Local artisan food producers also feature high on the bill, with Cork producer Gubbeen Smokehouse providing food for the event.
Tickets are on sale for the festival, with weekend camping tickets at €89.50 and day tickets at €39.50.