Dunmore East Nimmo 200
Festival
photos
Friday, Saturday & Sunday (17th-19th May 2019)
Appropriately enough, Friday was National Norwegian Day, and as this is such an important event in the annual calendar of Norway, a Norwegian Day parade was held in Dunmore East from the Ocean Hotel down to the Spinnaker Bar (surely a first for Dunmore East?), led by Riggerloftets from Norway and accompanied by Tony Wallace on the bagpipes; although the parade was spoiled somewhat by the light rain (the only rain for the weekend, thankfully), it was a wonderful occasion.
The Spinnaker Bar was the opening venue for the shanty element of the Harbour Festival and a truly sumptuous meal was served to all the singers and musicians. Thereafter, the groups dispersed to the festival venues and sang their hearts out to anyone prepared to listen (and many were!). At the end of the formal sessions, it was back to the Spinnaker for the late evening Festival Club and a hearty evening of music and song followed with great entertainment, chat and a few drops of whatever took your fancy.
We were honoured and delighted that the Norwegian Ambassador to Ireland, Her Excellency Else Berit Eikeland, officially opened the Harbour Festival down at Nimmo's Lighthouse on Saturday morning at 11am. Her speech was very appropriate and highlighted the links that exist between our City, Waterford, and Tønsberg, the home city of Riggerloftets, which may soon be formalised on a more permanent basis. Riggerloftets sang the Norwegian national anthem Ja, Vi Elsker Dette Landet, followed by Molgoggers and Hooks and Crookes singing Amhrán na bhFiann, the Irish national anthem.
Everyone went back to the main stage near the Sailing Club and each group sang a few songs to get the Festival underway. We adjourned then to the Sailing Club nearby where Adriano of the Azzurro Restaurant had prepared a magnificent paella, washed down mostly with large bottles of stout, a true Waterford drink (the coolers on the Guinness had malfunctioned). Hooks and Crookes made a presentation to the Ambassador and thanked her for taking the time to come down to Dunmore East to open the Festival.
The various shanty groups then dispersed to the various singing venues for the afternoon and shanties and songs of the sea could be heard resonating throughout the village.
The highlight event of the Festival was undoubtedly the Concert in St Andrews Church at 8pm on the Saturday evening. What a superb venue with great accoustics enlivened on this balmy evening by some wonderful singing. It really was special with music from Hooks and Crookes (who opened the concert), Jim Mageean & Pat Sheridan, Scheepsfolk, Fintan Power (the only poet among us), Molgoggers, Paddy's Passion and Dordán in the first half, followed by Omega3, Donal O'Connor, Riggerloftets and finally Dordán again who finished this entertaining event. There was a raffle during the interval and five lucky guests went home with something that they hadn't with them when they came in. It was a wonderful evening no doubt and very ably moderated by Richie Roberts. Meanwhile, the groups were dispersing to perform again in the various venues, now swelled by Saurday evening revellers. Everyone adjourned to the Strand Inn for the Saturday evening Festival Club and that was another special evening, when the various groups entertained each other in convivial surroundings, and a late evening ensued.
Sunday started bright and early for Hooks and Crookes (thak God for hot and cold showers!) who were up early for not one but two Church Services, the first in Killea Church at 10am, where we sang hymns with the local choir (and we sang two appropriate shanties at the end of mass). We then went down to St Andrews Church for 11.30 Service where we sang again. We just made it into the Bay Café at two minutes to twelve for breakfast, which was badly needed at that stage. More performances by all the groups followed over lunch in the local hostelries followed by freshly cooked pizzas (Azzurro again) consumed fervently in the Sailing Club (what a lovely venue), where it was great to relax before each group again hit the main stage to sing and entertain before all the groups closed the Festival by singing one song each followed by a wonderful mass singing of Leave her Johnny, a hell of a great shanty. Some groups then departed the village but everyone else adjourned to Power's Bar for another lively evening of song. A few more songs followed in the Ocean Hotel next door to round off a truly great Festival in wonderful surroundings and in good weather too.
Hooks and Crookes are delighted to have been involved in the Harbour Festival and it was indeed our pleasure to have contributed the musical element. We would also like to thank all our sponsors, supporters and anyone who helped or assisted in any way. Your support and assistance is greatly appreciated and it couldn't have been done without you. So a sincere thanks.
Thursday 16th May
It was a gentle start to the Festival with groups arriving from Norway (Riggerloftets), Netherlands (Paddy's Passion) and Tyrone (Jim Corr) and Tom Mullane and ourselves (Hooks and Crookes) from Waterford City. We had a relaxing chat and evening meal in the lovely Lighthouse Restaurant up at the Golf Course at Foilakipeen. We sang a few songs there and then we moved outside to the bar where we sang a few more songs. Just as it was warming up, Olly decreed that we had to finish our drinks and adjourn to the Ocean Hotel down in the village, where we had a few more songs and a few drinks too. Wonderful.
Some videos from the Harbour Festival
Nimmo's Lighthouse on the Waterford shore & The Hook Lighthouse on the Wexford shore
(with the UK registered Verity on her way to New Ross)
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All aboard
