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The Festival - a brief history of the story so far...
Launched in 2003, the annual Scariff Harbour Festival is an open-air, street-based event showcasing the many attractions and amenities accessible from Scariff. Its aim is to promote the leisure and pleasure potential of Lough Derg, the inland waterways and the East Clare countryside both among local people and visitors from further afield. The three-day festival, which takes place over the August bank holiday weekend, offers a varied programme of activities, arts, music and entertainment inspired by the “lake” theme.
In recent years Scariff Harbour, the festival’s focus, has been redeveloped and expanded by Waterways Ireland, a North/South implementation body set up under the Good Friday Agreement. Scariff now boasts a top-class marina facility for pleasure boats, anglers, sailing people and other water recreation enthusiasts. During the festival in 2006, the new Waterways Ireland regional office overlooking the harbour was officially opened by Minister Síle de Valera.
The festival seeks to highlight Scariff’s role as the “southern gateway” to the inland navigable waterways by forging a special relationship with corresponding towns in Northern Ireland to which Scariff is now linked through the waterways system and by promoting cross-border exchanges at the political, cultural and community levels.
Festival 2010 Highlights
As it enters its eighth year, the festival continues to develop and to attract ever-growing numbers of people.The festival offers a range of activities, events and entertainment highlighting the many attractions of the area and catering to all ages and tastes.
Boat tours of the Scariff River and Lough Derg have proved perennially popular in previous years with a seemingly never-ending demand by the public to get a chance to experience the river and lake firsthand. Canoeing and kayaking are also on hand for the more actively inclined. Angling displays and events, including a cross-border young anglers’ competition, highlight the angling potential of the lake and waterways. Walks are organized in cooperation with East Clare Way from the centre of Scariff, offering lake views and a chance to learn more about the history, culture and natural environment of East Clare. Local arts and crafts also figure prominently, with a chance to see displays of traditional craft-making.
The Scariff Harbour Festival prides itself on being a family-focused event. With this in mind the Family Fun Day was added to the programme in 2007 and has proved to be a huge success. This year the event will be held again, with additional activities to appeal to an even wider audience. Attractions will include the Mega arena of fun with Giant Slide, Activity Bounce, Super Obstacle Course, Pit Stop Challenge, Saloon Bar Shootout, Bungee Bull, Big Buzz, Milkin’ Cows, Wii Snow Boarding, Penalty Shootout, Novelty Races and much more…
A festival is not complete without music, and once again the programme will feature a mix of genres from jazz and folk to traditional music. This year's headlining act in the Sacred Heart Church is the legendary Mary Black. For the last quarter-century, singer Mary Black has been a dominant presence in Irish music, both at home and abroad. She has shared stages, tv shows and recording studios with some of the most revered performers of her time. She has also played a frontline role in bringing Irish music, past and present, to an increasingly appreciative and ever-growing global audience. The San Francisco Chronicle has described her as "One of the best interpretative singers around".
 2008 marked the 25th anniversary of Mary's first solo album, and to celebrate the occasion Mary released a special compilation double album 25 Years/25 Songs. It featured a personal, hand-picked selection of gems spanning Mary's career and it still serves as a testament to the extraordinary range and quality of both her vocal prowess and her astute song selection. Mary recorded two brand new songs for the project, and the album went straight to No. 1 in the Irish charts, where it remained for five weeks, spending over seven months in the Irish top 40.
The organising committee are delighted to welcome such a luminary of the Irish music scene to Scariff and look forward to an unforgettable concert in the Sacred Heart Church at 8pm on Friday 30th July. Tickets (€35) are now on sale at O'Meara's Pharmacy (061 921 028) and Rodgers' Bar & Off-Licence (061 921 012)
Saturday 31st July will see legendary Irish band Aslan play a free concert on the Fair Green. Aslan, who took their name from the heroic lion in C.S. Lewis's series of books chronicling the fictional land of Narnia, (Aslan is the Turkish for 'Lion'), emerged from the working class areas of Finglas and Ballymun in Dublin's Northside, in the mid 1980s. They released a demo single, 'This Is', in the Spring of 1986, which was a huge hit and became the longest ever play-listed single on Ireland's pop radio station, RTÉ 2fm.
At the end of 1986 Aslan walked away with The Stag/Hot Press,' Most Promising New Band' award and signed to EMI. In 1988 they recorded their debut album, 'Feel No Shame' which shot straight in to the No.1 spot of the Irish charts and remained there for weeks.
Led by frontman Christy Dignam, Aslan continue to tour and record and constantly thrill audiences with their energetic live performances. A gig not to be missed!
Aslan
Sunday night on the Fair Green always provides entertaining, free, open-air music and this year is no exception. Renowned group Beoga are based in County Antrim, in the north of Ireland. The bedrock of their sound lies firmly within the Irish tradition. However, they are not afraid to incorporate other genres’ nuances into their music. From bluesy riffs to Astor Piazzola-style jazz, to a raunchy New Orleans jamboree vibe, their music always returns to a wonderfully bouncy traditional sound. The result is traditional, with a huge sense of fun and adventure and it all works - wonderfully well. The Irish Times states, “Individually talented and collectively inspired, (Beoga) speak a language called music with a fluency beloved of the best multi-linguists.” Their distinctive sound is described by New York’s Irish Echo as “a heady, virtually head-spinning sonic blend, stamping Beoga as perhaps the most audacious Irish band rooted in trad today.” The Irish American News lauds the “energy, drive, intelligent creativity, wit and real musicianship” declaring, “this is the freshest take on the tradition,” and the Boston Globe ranks Beoga “as innovative as Celtic music mavericks Solas and Lunasa,” In short, Beoga have become one of the most popular and influential ensembles in modern Irish music.
Beoga
A lively céilí by the famous Tulla Céilí Band will round off the musical highlights on Sunday night, with an opportuinity to dance some sets into the early hours on the Fair Green!
Another highlight of this year's festival will be an appearance in Scariff Library by world renowned author and playwright Edna O’Brien, who talks about her life and works with Declan Kiberd, Professor of Anglo-Irish Literature and Drama at University College Dublin. In what promises to be an entertaining and informative conversation, the Tuamgraney-born Edna O'Brien will also read extracts from some of her extensive catalogue of work. Declan Kiberd will be familiar to many from his TV and Radio appearances and his regular written contributions to many of our national newspapers.
 
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