Macroom Mountain Dew Festival | |
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Genre | Rock |
Dates | Typically late June or July |
Location(s) | Macroom Castle, Macroom, County Cork, Ireland |
Coordinates | 51°54′19″N8°57′44″W / 51.90517°N 8.96229°W |
Years active | 1976–1982 |
Attendance | Up to 20,000 |
Macroom Mountain Dew Festival was a music festival in Ireland, which was held between 1976 and 1982. Taking place in the grounds of a 19th-century castle in County Cork, [1] it is considered to have been the first rock festival in Ireland. [2] [3]
The festival is named for Macroom's reputation as a centre for production of poitín ("mountain dew"). [4] Its organisation was spearheaded by publican and undertaker John Martin Fitz-Gerald, who approached Rory Gallagher’s brother and manager, Donal, about staging the open air concert. [5]
Year | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 |
Venue | Macroom GAA | Macroom Castle | Macroom Castle | Macroom Castle | a site 1 mile outside Macroom town | Coolcower House [6] | |
Main acts |
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Macroom is a market town in County Cork, Ireland, located in the valley of the River Sullane, halfway between Cork city and Killarney. Its population has grown and receded over the centuries as it went through periods of war, famine and workhouses, forced emigration and intermittent prosperity. The 2011 census gave an urban population of 3,879 people, while the 2016 census recorded 3,765 people.
William Rory Gallagher was an Irish musician and songwriter. He is known for his virtuosic style of guitar playing, and is often referred to as "the greatest guitarist you've never heard of". A number of guitarists, including Alex Lifeson of Rush, Brian May of Queen, and Eric Clapton, have cited Gallagher as an influence. He was voted as guitarist of the year by Melody Maker magazine in 1972, and listed as the 57th greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in 2015.
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Colman Corrigan is an Irish former Gaelic footballer, selector and manager. At club level he played with Macroom, divisional side Muskerry and at inter-county level with the Cork senior football team. Corrigan also served in a number of management roles at club and inter-county levels.
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Tom Creedon was an Irish sportsperson from Macroom, County Cork. He played Gaelic football with his local club Macroom and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1975 until 1983. Creedon was predominantly a centre back but also played at right corner back and midfield on the Cork team that played in seven Munster finals. He won a National League medal with Cork in 1980. Creedon also played at inter-provincial level with Munster and was a member of the Munster teams that won the Railway Cup in 1977 and 1981.
Macroom Castle, in the centre of the town of Macroom, was once residence and fortress of the Lords of Muskerry. The castle has changed owners many times, has been besieged, burned, and rebuilt. The MacCarthys of Muskerry owned it with some interruptions from about 1353 when Muskerry was given to Dermot MacCarthy, 1st Lord of Muskerry, until 1691 when Donogh MacCarthy, 4th Earl of Clancarty lost it definitively.
Rory and The Island has had 10 top 40 songs in the Irish iTunes rock charts, with "Jimmy's Winning Matches" breaking through to the actual overall Irish top 10 in October 2012. Lead singer Rory Gallagher was the bass player and lead vocalist with Irish Indie/Pop/Punk group 'The Revs' from 2000 to 2007.
Olivia Charlotte Guinness, Baroness Ardilaun, best known as Lady Ardilaun was, after the British monarch, the richest woman of her time in Britain and Ireland. A daughter of the Earl of Bantry, she was connected to Muckross House, Macroom Castle, the St Anne's Estate in Dublin, and Ashford Castle.