Craic On

BeatlesFest on the Lough

2014 will be the 8th version of Ireland’s only annual festival of Beatles music, the BeatlesFest on the Lough. It takes place in the picturesque small town of Moville in County Donegal, Ireland. Moville lies on a salmon fishing sea lough just 18 miles north of Derry.

This year it will take place from August 1st to August 3rd.

A regular visitor to the Moville BeatlesFest is Beatles Road manager, PR guy and talent scout, Tony Bramwell. This will be Tony’s 5th BeatlesFest on the Lough.

Said Tony “Paul McCartney asked me to be a worldwide ambassador for the Beatles visiting lots of different BeatlesFest throughout the world. The one in Moville must be the quaintest BeatlesFest that I go to. I love the place and have made many friends there. It’s great to go back every year and meet them all again. Everyone is very friendly. Indeed I’d like to retire there”.

Paul McCartney

The first year that Tony came to the BeatlesFest on the Lough Paul McCartney had asked him to come over to see him play at Nashville as it was the first time that he had played there. Tony went over. Whilst there, according to Tony, Paul said “I’m playing Toronto in a couple of weeks. Why don’t you come back for that?”

“I can’t” said Tony. “I’m doing the BeatlesFest in Moville”.

Whiles he was at the festival and supping a pint of his favourite tipple Guinness, sitting in the sun outside Rosatos, a text came through from Paul McCartney telling him to buy the Daily Mail  as they were both on it. It seems that there was a quote from Tony about Heather Mills.

Tony texted him back with a picture of the Guinness toucan in the background with Tony supping a pint of Guinness. Paul, who, according to Tony, loves going to pubs, texted back “lucky …….”.

Multi Venue / Multiple Days

The BeatlesFest on the Lough takes place over 3 days and nights in multiple venues, e.g. the pubs of the town and outside in the streets and at the picturesque Putting Green Cafe  overlooking Lough Foyle.

Said organiser Gerry McLaughlin, “We are just putting together the Programme now. We will be inviting back all the best acts and inviting new ones as we find them. The other ones have been great but we are expecting this one to be the best ever. There will be lots of Open Mics too, so anyone can take part”.

To get a flavour of the BeatlesFest on the Lough, click here to see a clip of American Michael Thomas’s wonderful gig in Rosatos.

See BeatlesFest on the Lough for more details.