IT is that most curious of events - a music festival without hype. Since its inception in 1989 the Budweiser Clifden Country Blues Festival has not only continued in the face of occasional media and punter indifference, but also maintained its links with its original theme.
Devised by actor Ronan Wilmot as a festival of music rather than celebrities, the three day event unrolls at a leisurely pace.
Very much like the music it generates, this is a feelgood festival. Officially, there is a roster of acts at various venues in and around Clifden, but don't be too surprised if the running order doesn't go according to schedule. The only rules to be strictly adhered to during the festival's duration are the following: relax, enjoy yourself, and take a daily head clearing walk along the Sky Road before lunch.
As for the music, most of it is exemplary rough'n'ready pub fare, from the swinging blues of Fattening Frogs For Snakes to the eloquent country rock of Henry McCullough. Other highlights include Chris Meehan and His Redneck Friends, The Gripewater Blues Band, Diz Honey Bear Watson, and The Frames' Glen Hansard, who will be performing an acoustic gig in Ronnies Club, Foyles Hotel, on Sunday, September 1sts.