A volunteer festival committee has pulled off a major coup by signing up Ireland’s leading country pop star.
Creetown Country Ceilidh Festival wanted a big name to headline its opening night next Friday.
And they don’t come any bigger than five-time female vocalist of the year in the Emerald Isle, Lisa McHugh.
Festival committee chairman Ben Herries was instrumental in bringing the Glasgow-born singer to The Ferry Toon.
He told the News: “Lisa is the biggest name in Irish country music. It is a massive coup for Creetown that she is coming.
“We are absolutely delighted to get this over the line.
“Once we explained that the festival was entirely based on volunteers we managed to strike a deal with them.
“We are totally over the moon to have Lisa. This is massive for the festival and massive for the area.
“Creetown is the only Scottish gig she is doing this year so far.”
He added: “Lisa is actually Scottish – but often it’s easier for us to get acts from Ireland than Scotland. That’s simply because we’re closer to Belfast and Donegal than most of this country.”
Lisa has 13 singles to her name – almost all going to No. 1 in the Irish iTunes Country chart – along with seven studio albums, four of which made the official Irish top 20.
The 35-year-old has toured for 10 years – and in 2022 became the first ever country artist to perform at Electric Picnic, Ireland’s largest gathering of music and arts.
She said: “Since embracing change and facing new challenges, I have learned that music is a form of therapy – and I will never take that gift for granted.”
The three-day festival on April 28-30 features other top acts including Belfast singer-entertainer Gary Gamble and 2021 MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards winner Calum MacPhail and his Band.
And Ben hopes the event will have an equally big impact off stage as on.
He said: “The Creetown Country Ceilidh Festival (CCCF) has been community-based from the minute we started.
“That’s what we hope it will continue to be.
“We are hoping for in the region of 700 people every day – roughly 2,000 folk over the three days.
“The festival is there to benefit the whole community and give everybody a fair shot.
“It’s for folk to come and enjoy themselves over the weekend and to help keep the local businesses going.
“It’s been hard for them – there’s not been a lot happening.
“It will be also a boost for the stallholders who come and sell their produce and the marquee can hold 1,000.”
Other CCCW family entertainment includes funfair rides, face painting and a bouncy castle.
And the giant on-site marquee at Castle Cary Park can hold 1,000 people.
Ben is glad it’s beginning to fill the gap left by the Creetown Country Music Festival, which folded several years previously.
He said: “The festival is now in its third year having missed two due to Covid and has got bigger in its own right.
“But the roots from the old festival are important.
“A lot a folk who attended come to the new one because it’s still Creetown and still country music.
“Even now when you are dealing with bands they know when you mention Creetown.”
More information and ticket details at facebook.com/creetownfestival
