Craic On

Europe’s biggest DylanFest, Stuck Inside of Moville, the 7th DylanFest on the Lough will kick off in the picturesque Irish town of Moville, in County Donegal in Ireland and its neighbouring fishing village of Greencastle on Thursday. Four days of music indoors and outdoors will start with Come Gather Round People night in Rosatos in Moville and in a Dylan Jamboree night in Jack’s Bar in Derry.

The headline act of 2010 and 2011, Al-Diesan, from Sardinia in Italy, will return to start off the festival. Also coming back will be 2012’s headline act Planeausters from Germany. From Dublin come the Relics of Saint Valentine and Mickey ‘The Hat’ Roberts comes from North Wales to play, joining acts from both Irelands such as Ryan O’Dochertaigh and Kevin Brown from Northern Ireland and top local Dylanist, Paddy ‘the Shoe’ McLaughlin.

Putting Green Cafe

The Times They Are a Changin’ Night (Friday) sees the 2013 debut of Planeausters comprising Michael Moravek and Kerstin Becker with Paddy the Shoe in Rawdons and a Dylan DJ in Big Ben’s. Forever Young Afternoon (Saturday) sees an Open Mic at the Putting Green Cafe which overlooks the salmon fishing Lough Foyle which separates the Republic of Ireland from Northern Ireland followed by the first sight of The Relics of St Valentine later in Maguires. Billy McInnes from Scotland and Mickey ‘the Hat’ Roberts from Wales with be amongst those that play there.

Stuck Inside of Moville Night (Saturday) sees the return of top Northern Ireland Act Ryan O’Dochertaigh and Kevin Brown, who play octane Dylan music in the Sean Ti in Greencastle whilst Al-Diesan returns to Rosatos.

Tambourine Man

Mr Tambourine Man afternoon (Sunday) will see an Open Mic at the open air Putting Green Cafe where Mickey ‘the Hat’ Roberts From Wales and Billy McInnes from Belfast will play amongst many others.

No Direction Home Night (Sunday) will see the farewell gigs with Ryan and Kevin in Rosatos, Planeausters in Maguires and the Relics of St Valentine in The Ferryport in Greencastle.

Biggest in Europe

It is already the biggest DylanFest in Europe but Moville’s DylanFest has had an unprecedented level of publicity this year being part of the programme for both the Year Of The Gathering in Ireland and Derry’s UK City of Culture 2013.

The following weekend will see Ireland’s only annual festival of Beatles music the BeatlesFest on the Lough which will end an 11-day long Sixties festival with people asked to dress in Sixties Gear and the girls to wear Sixties make-up.

Said DylanFest and BeatlesFest organiser Gerry McLaughlin, “It’s going to be 11 days of fun to end the summer. The Sixties will come alive again for a week and a half in an idyllic part of Ireland”.