SOME of the biggest names in the Irish music business arrive in Donegal this weekend for a very worthy cause.
The inaugural Ribbon Rhythm Festival will provide a weekend of great music in the Mount Errigal Hotel in Letterkenny on Friday, February 26, and Saturday 27, 2011.
This brand new two-day musical spectacular has already attracted a stellar line-up of acts and it is planned to run it on an annual basis. The 2011 festival will raise much-needed funds for the Donegal Autism Parent’s Support Group and to increase awareness of its work in the county.
The festival will provide an eclectic musical menu over two days, with something to suit every taste and preference.
Saturday’s line-up includes Aslan, Henry McCullough, Grianne Duffy, Lee Headley, Mirenda Rosenberg Band, The Gandhis, Pontiax, Seven Days, and Mark Black. On Sunday, The Miami Showband, Mary Coughlan, Johnny Duhan, The Henry Girls, Fil Campbell, Lou McMahon and The Mudskippers will take to the stage. More acts are being added to the line-up all the time.
There will also be free live music taking place in the Front Bar of the Mount Errigal on both Saturday and Sunday.
The Ribbon Rhythm Festival has been created to support a different Donegal charity each year and raise awareness of their work within the county. It also aims to provide a boost to the local economy in the process by providing jobs and attracting people to the region.
This exciting and dynamic event promises to be a great way to support a great local charity while providing some fantastic entertainment for music fans in Co Donegal.
Anyone interested in providing sponsorship for the event can contact the festival organisers on sponsor@ribbonrhythm.com Any acts who want to apply to play at the festival can contact festivalband@ribbonrhythm.com Any other queries can be sent to info@ribbonrhythm.com
Why We’re Doing This
Autism -A Simple Explanation
Imagine if you were blindfolded and dropped in a foreign country with no map, guidebook, or dictionary. You can’t speak the language, the culture is unrecognisable, you struggle with the terrain, and yet you are expected to make a permanent home there.
Autistic children often struggle to interpret the world around them. It can appear chaotic with no clear boundaries, order or meaning. They have difficulty with social communication, interaction, and imagination. Their physical abilities also develop differently from mainstream children.
These differences can vary from very mild, where the person can function as well as anyone else around them, to so severe that they are completely unable to take part in normal society.
Imagine what it’s like to be a child who can’t recognise social queues or navigate social situations.
Imagine living in a world that is difficult to understand and where you struggle to communicate.
Then imagine what it’s like to raise that child. Your support helps families who are affected by autism and provides hope to beautifully autistic children.
The Organiser
“My name is Mirenda Rosenberg. I am the mad mother of two Autistic boys (8&9) in Letterkenny. I’m a mom and a singer – I live like a superhero, during the week I’m a mom and on the weekends I get to put on evening gowns and perform. Most special needs parents don’t get that release. I even know of 3 different special needs moms whose partners won’t allow them to tell anyone that their children have special needs (Not even their parents know) they have the support of ONLY ONE other special needs parent (me).
“There is a ridiculous backlog of children on a waiting list to be evaluated for Autism (and other special needs) in Ireland. Without parents support groups most of us would simply fall apart on a daily basis. I’ve organized the Ribbon Rhythm Festival in Letterkenny to raise money for the Autism Family Support Groups in Donegal. We’ve got Aslan, Henry McCullough, Mary Coughlan, The Miami Showband, Seven Days, Johnny Duhan – there are 27 bands over 2 days in 1 venue.
“My goal is to raise €30000 for the support group this year. If all goes well we will put on another festival in 2012 and use the money to hold a “clinic” – bringing in private doctors to help clear the backlog of children who need evaluation in Donegal,” she said.
Programme
(Attention: Times Subject to change!)
Feb 26th – www.ribbonrhythm.comBar01:30 – 03:00 Rosin Atchinson
03:30 – 05:00 Oisin Cannon
05:30 – 07:00 Niall O’Riordan
07:30 – 09:30 The CMC
10:00 – 12:00 Preacher’s Son
Blues Stage 01:30 – 02:45 Mark Black
03:15 – 04:15 Grainne Duffy
04:45 – 06:00 Pontiax
06:30 – 07:45 Lee Hedley
08:15 – 09:30 Mirenda Rosenberg Band
10:00 – 11:45 Henry McCullough
Power Stage 02:30 – 03:30 Nasty and the Fantastics
04:00 – 05:00 The Dead Flags
05:30 – 06:30 Rare Groove Funk Orchestra
07:00 – 08:00 The Gandhis
08:30 – 09:30 Seven Days
10:00 – 12:00 Aslan
Feb 27th – www.ribbonrhythm.comSunday – Bar 02:00 – 04:00 Trad
04:30 – 05:30 Lou McMahan
06:00 – 07:00 Mudskippers
07:30 – 08:30 Kate O Calahan
09:00 – 11:00 Stone Rangers
Ribbon Stage02:30 – 03:00 Mairead Farrell
03:30 – 04:30 Fil Cambell
05:00 – 06:00 Johnny Duhan
06:30 – 07:30 Henry Girls
08:00 – 09:00 Mary Coughlan
09:30 – 11:30 Miami Showband
Ends
