Lisdoonvarna
The line-up for the relocated Lisdoonvarna '03 is good enough to get over the weird move to Dublin's RDS Arena on August 30th.
Lisdoonvarna '03 was prevented from going ahead in the place that gives the festival its name, by some local objections from busybody killjoys which led Clare County Council to refuse Aiken Promotions a licence for the event. They alleged the volume of traffic would be more than the current infrastructure could withstand, despite the fact that the Gardai had indicated their approval. The words 'meadows littered with hypodermic syringes' were uttered, which is certainly not the first image that comes to mind when you think of Christy Moore. So the puritanical idiots won and the good vittle-providers of Clare lost out on over a million in revenue. Aikens decided to go ahead with it elsewhere and searched for an alternative venue.That venue now is the RDS in Dublin. So the quintessentially 'down-the-country' folkie fest comes to Dublin 4. Instead of supping a pint of porter at a trad session in a wee Clare shebeen before the gig, you can sup a pint of Heino in Searsons on Baggot street. Not really the same.
Anyway, it's still a terrific line-up and if you miss The Frames at Witnness, this is your big chance to see them. Also a good opportunity to catch Christy Moore, as this'll be the biggest show he'll have played in a long while, having frequently announced his retirement from live shows of late, citing heart trouble.
The full line-up should easily make up for the move from the depths of County Clare to Dublin's RDS. There will be four areas: a Main Stage, Stage II, the Acoustic Room and a brand new Comedy Room.
For details of the line-up, click here.
For more information you can also check out the Lisdoonvarna website.
Seated tickets: €40/€55/€63 and €59.50 general admission.
Merrion Road,
Ballsbridge,
Dublin 4.
RDS
