Every summer, some of the best musicians from around the world descend on Ireland. We queue up for Electric Picnic, Longitude, Indiependence, a host of gigs in Marlay Park or Phoenix Park. What did we do before going to these festivals? For many, the music mecca of the 90’s was Thurles for the Féile.
Michael Lowry, TD for the then Tipperary North, was instrumental in bringing the festival to Thurles. His popularity and drive made this inconceivable fantasy a reality. Thurles didn’t play host to some medicore student bands, some of the best bands of the day made their way to Thurles. From Hothouse Flowers, Van Morrison, Tracy Chapman, Meat Loaf, Happy Mondays, The Pogues, Primal Scream, INXS, The Prodigy, Rage Against The Machine to name just a few. With a numbers hitting 40,000, Féile was the original Irish festival.
Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of the last time the Féile was held in Thurles. Looking at some of the images below from Twitter, is it time we call on our politicians, and perhaps Michael Lowry again, to make this a reality yet again.
Turn On, Tune In to @RTEOne this evening 6.30pm for ‘FLEADHED – Mo Bhig Fat Dirty Féile’ https://t.co/Qcmq1JpnlU #TripToTipp #FéileRocks pic.twitter.com/foXW9dLIs8
— Trip to Tipp (@ThurlesTown) October 31, 2016
Today in 1991 @thewonder_stuff played the Feile Festival, Thurles, Ireland pic.twitter.com/xqoAlVOL5I
— WonderStuffMuseum (@StuffieMuseum) August 4, 2016
The first Trip to Tipp Thurles Féile ’90 Watch more https://t.co/DlTBjjoH2q https://t.co/TpeAjPi0ZR
— RTÉ Archives (@RTEArchives) August 4, 2016
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