There's a Festival on Clare Island This Weekend
Mr. Whippy Soundsystem (aka DJ and architect Dermot McCabe) is back for the seventh year of his Bank Holiday Weekender event, described as a “gathering for music lovers, dreamers, and kindred spirits of all ages on the enchanting shores of Clare Island”.
Photography: Guillaume Godin
With 28 artists playing live and DJing over the weekend, you can expect a mix of jazz, funk, electronic, disco and everything in between. Performers like The Dirty Jazz Club Quintet, Fatima and Fergus Murphy will take the stage.
Mr. Whippy himself will be spinning records from his vintage 1972 ice-cream van, which has spent twenty years on the road as a DJ booth performing at various summer festivals.
There’ll also be an open-air seaside dancefloor so that visitors can dance under both the sun and the stars while looking out over Clew Bay toward Croagh Patrick and Westport.
For the foodie lovers, pop-up delights like Soundslice Pizza, Carl’s BBQ and Lennox Goes West’s dinner party will keep you well-fed while you boogie, while anyone looking to take a breather can enjoy a relaxing reggae yoga session or peruse the beautiful temporary installations from architecture collective Bayanihan.
Left: Hewan ሔዋን Mulugeta, Right: Clare Island, Guillaume Godin
Guests of the festival can use the island campsite and facilities for €10 per person per night, which is payable at the Community Centre, and are asked to leave no trace.
It’s bound to be a gorgeous event with plenty of sunshine; though you might want to bring your rain gear too – just in case!
Tickets start at €33 for a day ticket, with the full weekender ticket costing €99. Buy them here.
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