New Ross band plays to crowd of 100,000 at Festival in France
The New Ross Pipe Band in action at the Inter-Celtic Festival in Lorient, France.
Tuesday August 31 2010
THE NEW ROSS and District Pipe Band returned last week after fulfilling another successful invitation to perform at the Inter-Celtic Festival in Lorient, France.
This was the band's seventh invitation to the biggest Celtic music and cultural festival in the world, which involves nine days of concerts and parades, with the festival organisers covering the band's travel and accommodation costs.
This year was an even bigger year than usual as it was the fortieth year of the festival which drew almost one million people to its events over the nine days and was opened by the Cranberries.
One of the main highlights for the band was playing to a combined audience of over 100,000 people during five 'Magic Night' concert shows in the Lorient Football Stadium.
The band plays as part of an Irish contingent consisting of two other bands, Irish dancers and ceili groups.
The band also played its own exclusive concerts, along with well known local guest musicians and friends, including Mark Comerford, Seamus Power, Daren Byrne and John Fleming, to thousands of appreciative Bretons over the nine days and featured on both French TV and Radio.
To finish the festival, the band took a highly respectable fourth place in the Inter-Celtic Pipe Band Championships which included eight other Pipe Bands from Scotland, Ireland and Brittany.
Currently on a very short break, the band will be back in rehearsals for its participation in a big touring show, all the way from Australia, which is a tribute to the Irish Convict Women brought to Australia in the 1800's.
The show will play four Irish venues, including St. Michael's Theatre, New Ross, on Friday, September 3 at 8 p.m. Tickets available from band members and from the theatre online.
