Local, national and international performers will converge on the north Connemara island of Inishbofin from the 6th to the 10th of September for the island's Arts Festival 2000.
The festival's programme includes readings, theatre, music and workshops, as well as entertainment events such as boat trips, tug o'war, cookery demonstrations and seashore explorations.
Sharon Shannon and her band, the Woodchoppers, are the opening act, playing on September 6th in the local community centre. Sharon, a regular visitor to Inishbofin, will be joined on stage by local singer and musician Desmond O'Halloran. Desmond, a member of one of Inishbofin's best-known musical families, features on Sharon's forthcoming album alongside well-known international acts Jackson Browne, Steve Earle, John Prine and Carlos Nunez.
A former All Ireland Fleadh Cheoil singing champion, he recorded the cajun-style song Waiting For You, which he discovered some 30 years ago while working on the buildings in London.
Inishbofin, with a population of just over 200 people, has an extraordinarily rich musical tradition and another local man featuring prominently at this year's festival is Andrew Murray, singer with Galway traditional band, De Dannan.
Andrew, a primary school principal based in Wicklow, has been singing with De Dannan for almost two years. He will be appearing with the group on Friday night in the island's community centre. That's at 9.00 p.m. and singer Sean Tyrrell takes the stage at midnight.
But the festival isn't all about music. On Friday the Nigerian/Irish poet, novelist and playwright Gabriel Gdadamosi will give a lunchtime poetry reading and on Saturday, novelist Carlo Gebler, whose most recent work was the acclaimed How To Murder a Man, will give a literary talk. At 5.5.00 p.m. writer and actor Donal O'Kelly will perform his acclaimed one-man show, Catalpa, The Movie. All these events take place in the community centre.
On Saturday morning Clifden archaeologist Michael Gibbons will lead an island walk, pointing out the many areas of archaeological interest in Inishbofin and on Sunday - weather permitting - there will be a boat trip to Bofin's neighbouring island, Inishark. Children of all ages will delight in the puppet shows from Brian Burke which are being held at 2.00 p.m. and 5.00 p.m. on Saturday in the local school. Brian Burke is one of Ireland's foremost artists and a skilled puppeteer. Over its five days, Inishbofin Arts Festival 2000 will feature many other performers and a series of workshops in quilting, pottery and music.
It's been two years since the island's last festival and the committee now hopes to make it a biennial event. It would be difficult to hold it more frequently, explains Mary Lavelle of the Inishbofin Development Company.
"There's so much work involved in organising it, and we are depending on FAS schemes and voluntary workers because nobody gets paid." More information at 095-45909.