User:Valenciano/sandbox

{{Infobox music festival

| name = Lisdoonvarna festival

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| genre = {{hlist|Irish traditional music|Folk music|various}}

| dates = July

| location = Doolin, County Clare

| coordinates =

| years_active = 1978–1983

| founders = Jim Shannon, Paddy Doherty{{cite news |author= |date=30 June 1982 |title=Lisdoonvarna ready to rock |url=https://www.rte.ie/archives/2017/0627/885927-lisdoonvarna-festival/ |work=RTÉ |location= |access-date=15 December 2024}}

| organised = Zenith Productions

| attendance =

| capacity = 70,000

| website =

}}

Lisdoonvarna was a 3-day Irish music festival held each year from 1978 to 1983. Conceived as an Irish folk and traditional music festival, it expanded to include other genres and international artists. The festival was compared to an Irish version of Woodstock{{cite news |author= |date=12 June 2017 |title=From Sunstroke to Lisdoonvarna to Carnsore Point - a history of music festivals in Ireland |url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/from-sunstroke-to-lisdoonvarna-to-carnsore-point-a-history-of-music-festivals-in-ireland/35793294.html |work=Irish Independent |location= |access-date=15 December 2024}}{{cite news |last=McCarthaigh |first=Sean |date=1 September 2003 |title=Christy highlight of post modern Lisdoon |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-10038819.html |work=Irish Examiner |location= |access-date=16 December 2024}} or Glastonbury.{{cite news |author= |date=15 July 2016 |title=On This Day In Clare History – 15 July 1979 |url=https://clareherald.com/living/events/on-this-day-in-clare-history-15-july-1979/ |work=Clare Herald |location= |access-date=16 December 2024}}

Though successful, violence at the 1983 event and the unrelated drowning deaths of 8 festival goers that year led to the event being cancelled. Attempts were made to revive the festival in 2003 and 2016.

History

After considering the idea since 1975, festival creator Jim Shannon made concrete plans in a bar in June 1977 for a festival to be held the following year. Participants would be predominantly Irish acts, since the violence of The Troubles discouraged international artists from playing in Ireland.{{Cite web |url=https://www.newstalk.com/news/from-the-archives-of-irelands-music-festivals-603384 |title=Eight youths attending a pop music festival, including three brothers, were swept out to sea |author= |date=14 April 2016 |website=www.newstalk.com |publisher=Newstalk |access-date=16 December 2024}}

=1978=

The inaugural event was held from 14-16 July 1978 and included Christy Moore, The Chieftains, De Dannan and The Fureys. Moore wrote a song to commemorate his appearance which was added to The Penguin Book of Irish Poetry in 2010.{{cite web

| url = http://www.ramblinghouse.org/2010/09/lisdoonvarna-makes-top-poetry-collection/

| title = Song Lisdoonvarna in Penguin poetry collection | Ramblinghouse

| access-date = 17 February 2014

| url-status = dead

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140223020559/http://www.ramblinghouse.org/2010/09/lisdoonvarna-makes-top-poetry-collection/

| archive-date = 23 February 2014

| df = dmy-all

}}

=1979=

The second festival was held from 13-15 July 1979 and was headlined by Loudon Wainwright III. Others who performed included Ralph McTell, The Chieftains, De Dannan, The Fureys and Stockton's Wing.

=1980=

The third festival took place from 11-13 July 1980 and participating artists included Emmylou Harris, Paul Brady, Clannad and The Chieftains

=1981=

The fourth festival was held from 10-12 July 1981 and was headlined by Chris de Burgh, with support artists including Lindisfarne, The Beat, Paul Brady, Planxty and De Dannan. British reggae band Steel Pulse played and commented on the recent Brixton riots{{cite news |author= |date=19 October 1981 |title=Lisdoonvarna reggae 1981 |url=https://www.rte.ie/archives/category/arts-and-culture/2021/0914/1246662-steel-pulse-at-lisdoonvarna/ |work=RTÉ |location= |access-date=16 December 2024}}

=1982=

The 1982 festival was headlined by Jackson Browne, with other artists including UB40, Wishbone Ash, The Chieftains, Stockton's Wing and The Atrix.{{cite news |author= |date=13 July 1982 |title=Music and mud at Lisdoonvarna |url=https://www.rte.ie/archives/2017/0711/889408-lisdoonvarna-music-festival/ |work=RTÉ |location= |access-date=15 December 2024}} For the first time, a festival village was added. Festival attendance fell relative to the previous year.

=1983=

The 1983 festival was cut from three days to two and was moved two weeks later to 30-31 July{{Cite web |url=https://www.clare.fm/podcasts/old-lisdoonvarna-festival-feature-upcoming-documentary-3/ |title=Old Lisdoonvarna Festival To feature In Upcoming Documentary |author= |date=12 June 2023 |website=www.clare.fm |publisher=Clare FM |access-date=16 December 2024}} to take advantage of the August Holiday.{{cite news |author= |date=17 August 1983 |title=What future for Lisdoonvarna festival? |url=https://www.rte.ie/archives/2017/0627/885927-lisdoonvarna-festival/ |work=RTÉ |location= |access-date=15 December 2024}} It was headlined by Rory Gallagher and Van Morrison, while , Christy Moore, Amazulu, Dennis Bovell, Climax Blues Band, John Martyn, Moving Hearts and Stockton's Wing also played. Attendance was estimated at 40,000.{{Cite web |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/08/01/Eight-youths-attending-a-pop-music-festival-including-three/7898428558400/ |title=Eight youths attending a pop music festival, including three brothers, were swept out to sea |author= |date=1 August 1983 |website=www.upi.com |publisher=United Press International |access-date=16 December 2024}} Attendees included American singer-songwriter Rickie Lee Jones who recounted meeting Van Morrison in her memoir.{{cite news |last=Browne |first=David |date=12 April 2021 |title=‘You Met a Leprechaun’: Read Rickie Lee Jones’ Surreal Van Morrison Meetup in Book Excerpt|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/rickie-lee-jones-van-morrison-memoir-1150456/ |work=Rolling Stone |location= |access-date=16 December 2024}}

After over a thousand people without tickets had breached the fence on the first day, organisers recruited members of a Hells Angels motorcycle group to bolster security. A further breach on the second day led to running battles between festival goers and the Hells Angels, which resulted in injuries, motorcycles being vandalised and tents burned.{{cite news |last=Kerrigan |first=Gene |date=31 July 1983 |title=Lisdoonvarna|url=https://magill.ie/archive/lisdoonvarna |work=Magill |location= |access-date=16 December 2024}}

In a separate incident, eight festival goers disregarded warning notices and swam out to a sandbank. They were washed out to sea and drowned, while several others were rescued by emergency services.

The 1983 events led to a significant backlash from the local community in Lisdoonvarna who, at a public meeting, expressed concerns about vandalism, public intoxication and drug use by festival goers and voted to oppose the festival occurring again in the area. The 1983 festival had resulted in a financial loss and proved to be the last of the festival's original run.

Revival attempts

A festival was scheduled for 28 June 2003 as a one-day event across two stages and was to have been headlined by Christy Moore, while The Frames, Suzanne Vega, Mundy, Damien Dempsey and Luka Bloom were also set to perform.{{cite news |author= |date=28 February 2003 |title=Moore for Lisdoonvarna Festival return|url=https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2003/0228/398798-lisdoonvarna/ |work=RTÉ |location= |access-date=15 December 2024}} The organisers planned to hold the revival at the original site but were denied a licence by Clare County Council, who cited concerns about noise pollution and inadequate infrastructure around the festival site for their decision.{{cite news |author= |date=30 January 2009 |title=License refused for Lisdoonvarna festival|url=https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2003/0529/399364-lisdoonvarna/ |work=RTÉ |location= |access-date=15 December 2024}} The event was relocated to Dublin's RDS Arena{{cite news |author= |date=30 August 2003 |title=Lisdoonvarna comes to Dublin|url=https://www.rte.ie/archives/2018/0820/986349-lisdoonvarna-festival-at-the-rds/ |work=RTÉ |location= |access-date=15 December 2024}} and held on 30 August 2003 with an approximate attendance of 24,000. Josh Ritter was the only non-Irish artist to perform. The event was criticised for its long queues.

A further revival attempt was made in 2016 when a one-off "Lisdoonvarna Folk festival" was held as a two-day event near to the original site.{{cite news |author= |date=25 July 2016 |title=Lisdoonvarna Folk Festival is reborn |url=https://clareherald.com/living/events/lisdoonvarna-folk-festival-is-reborn-70801/ |work=Clare Herald |location= |access-date=16 December 2024}}

References

Category:Folk festivals in Ireland

Category:1978 in Irish music

Category:1980s in Irish music

Category:Music festivals established in 1978

Category:Music festivals disestablished in 1983

Category:Summer events in the Republic of Ireland