Warrnambool Standard article on Koroit Irish Festival 2014

Music, fun and games with an Irish lilt

By EVERARD HIMMELREICH

April 26, 2014, 

THE Koroit Irish Festival will reach full voice today with a wealth of musicians set to treat crowds to a good old Irish ‘craic’.

Singer-songwriter and Australian Idol star Damien Leith is the festival headline act and will perform late this afternoon.

Another to appear on the five indoor and outdoor stages that will be buzzing with music throughout the day is Geelong singer-songwriter Imogen Brough, who has appeared on TV talent show The Voice.

Today’s entertainment also includes the annual Danny Boy championship final, before which the festival’s inaugural artist of the year award winners, Tommy, Tuddy and Mick will be presented to the crowd.

The popular Koroit-based trio of Tommy Brooks, Frank “Tuddy” Bowman and Mick Morgan have been performing for decades in the south-west and will do so again at several performances at this year’s festival.

The big list of festival events today includes the Beks Bowman Emerging Talent competition, spud picking and peeling championships and a kids’ activities area. 

Festival committee member Leon Carey said festival tickets were selling well and between 3000-5000 people were expected to flow through Koroit today.

The festival kicked off yesterday in true Irish style with a jam session and lots of jokes and banter.

Mr Carey said more than 60 people attended the Irish festival jam session at the Koroit Scout Hall with no shortage of participating musicians.

Up to 400 people were expected to attend the light-hearted Great Irish Australian Quiz Show last night at Koroit Theatre.

The Irish-based quiz has a format similar to the ABC TV’s Spicks and Specks and had Victorian Premier Denis Napthine, The Standard’s editor-in-chief Steve Kelly and singer Imogen Brough among the panellists.

Also on the panels were performer Maria Forde, dairy industry figure Phil Keegan and South West Community Foundation board member Bernadette Northeast.

The festival entertainment continues tomorrow with the highlights to include a Gaelic football match at Victoria Park between the Melbourne Sinn Fein Ladies team and the Koroit All Stars, with the latter side comprising former Koroit footballers.

Irishman Martin Ruane from Mayo and Leamon Chambers from Koroit helped get the Koroit Irish Festival off to a melodic start yesterday with a session at the town’s scout hall.