Cooley-Collins Festival
Classes, Competitions, Concerts, Festivals, Sessions, Dancing
- Date
- 24 October 2008–27 October 2008
- Time
- 6:00 PM
- Town
- Gort
- County
- Galway
- Country
- Ireland
- Contact
- Mary Coen
- Phone
- 086 382 3765

The Cooley-Collins music festival, now in its 24th year, takes place in Gort, Peterswell, Kilbeacanty & Coole Park Visitors Centre. It includes music, song, dance workshops, lectures, competitions, concerts & recitals. The event takes place to commemorate Kieran Collins and Joe Cooley, two of the greatest exponents of Irish traditional music in the 20th century.
South County Galway is one of the great areas for authentic traditional Irish Music. Each October the ancient town of Gort , capital of South County Galway, hosts this unique gathering of outstanding local musicians and their friends, playing together over a long weekend of fun and fine music.
This traditional Irish music festival includes music sessions, set dancing, under-18 competitions - button accordion, tin whistle, etc. Workshops on Saturday for various instruments.
Some of the events are as follows:
Saturday – Advanced Accordion Class with Joe Burke Improvers Accordion Class with Nuala Hehir
Classes are being held in the Gort Community School - Registration is at 10 30am and classes are from 11.00am to 1 00pm and 2.00pm to 4.00pm
Saturday, 7.00pm – Concert in Sullivan’s Royal Hotel with Joe Burke, Anne-Conroy Burke, Nuala Hehir and Shaskeen Céilí Band
Saturday, 9.30pm – Céilí in McCarthy’s, Kilbeacanty with Tulla Céilí Band
Sunday, 12.45pm – Live Music in the Square (Gort)
Sunday, 3.00pm – Céilí with Matt Cunningham Céilí Band in Sullivan’s Royal Hotel
Monday, 1.30pm – Prayers at Joe Cooley’s grave followed by session in Yeats’ Lodge, Peterswell.
There will also be music all weekend in hotels and bars throughout the town.
For further information, contact Mary Coen (Tel: 086 382 3765)