Phoenix Festival Tullamore

Mahocky

Walked all around town on Saturday between 3 and 4 pm which you would surely expect to be a busy time for the festival. There was a small funfair in Market Square, a terrible indoor market selling second hand books and clothes and some buns in the former Texas shop, and a stage in O'Connor Square with music coming form the speakers and virtually nobody there.
There seemed to be lots of families walking around looking up and down streets wondering where the 'festival' was.

Scawgeen

Well it should be renamed the 'Phoenix Festival for the Publicans of Tullamore'
cause it's certainly not a festival that suits families, or teenagers for that matter.

DM_7

Went to the races friday night in Kilbeggan, got back into town at 10.05, square empty except for a few teenagers hanging around wondering why they bothered turning up.

But as mentioned above having any festivities going on later wouldn't suit puiblicans, free entertainment outside shouldn't cut into drinking time:rolleyes:

Quazzie

Was in there last night and the whole town looked quieter than on an orinary Sunday night, with the exception of maybe a few extra drunk teenagers.

The live music being played in Market Square was playing to a near non existent crowd, although the fireworks at Sragh Castle seemed to draw a decent crowd.

I braved most of the rain to watch the live bands, and assumed the near empty square meant the publicans were cleaning up because of it, but I was proven wrong when upon entering the Brewery Tap, I was served almost immediately. Something that was a 25 minute job last year. Overall I was hugely disappointed with the turnout and the arrangement.

Rumour has it that they lost big money this year, which might mean its the last year for it.

DM_7

Quazzie wrote: »

Was in there last night and the whole town looked quieter than on an orinary Sunday night, with the exception of maybe a few extra drunk teenagers.

The live music being played in Market Square was playing to a near non existent crowd, although the fireworks at Sragh Castle seemed to draw a decent crowd.

I braved most of the rain to watch the live bands, and assumed the near empty square meant the publicans were cleaning up because of it, but I was proven wrong when upon entering the Brewery Tap, I was served almost immediately. Something that was a 25 minute job last year. Overall I was hugely disappointed with the turnout and the arrangement.

Rumour has it that they lost big money this year, which might mean its the last year for it.

I live in tullamore and didn't know the festival was on this weekend. I only found out friday aftrenoon. I had no idea what the programme of events was, what bands were playing etc.

Compare that to other things on in tullamore. There is a big sign outside the graveyard advertising a manchester united legends v irish legends match on 31st July. The sign is a up a few weeks already. They dropped info into work and there is a poster up in the canteen. I would imagine everyone that end of the town knows about the game.

Doesn't seem right.

offaly1

DM-ICE wrote: »

I live in tullamore and didn't know the festival was on this weekend. I only found out friday aftrenoon. I had no idea what the programme of events was, what bands were playing etc.

Compare that to other things on in tullamore. There is a big sign outside the graveyard advertising a manchester united legends v irish legends match on 31st July. The sign is a up a few weeks already. They dropped info into work and there is a poster up in the canteen. I would imagine everyone that end of the town knows about the game.

Doesn't seem right.

That same banner is up there at the layby by arden vale/Tennis club. The whole town knows about the match, i didn't really know to much about the festival either i must admit!

DM_7

offaly1 wrote: »

That same banner is up there at the layby by arden vale/Tennis club. The whole town knows about the match, i didn't really know to much about the festival either i must admit!

Today, out of interest I kept an eye on what banners are at the green beside the graveyard. There were 4, one was for the festival.

The other three were all simple banners with white backgrounds and big easy to read writing.

The Phoenix Festival was advertised on a banner that failed to stand out. I drive past that green everyday and don't remember noticing the banner. It had a multitude of little symbols or pictures on it with a dark background and dark writing. Could barely read the sign at all.

shnaek

Quazzie wrote: »

Was in there last night and the whole town looked quieter than on an orinary Sunday night, with the exception of maybe a few extra drunk teenagers.

The live music being played in Market Square was playing to a near non existent crowd, although the fireworks at Sragh Castle seemed to draw a decent crowd.

I braved most of the rain to watch the live bands, and assumed the near empty square meant the publicans were cleaning up because of it, but I was proven wrong when upon entering the Brewery Tap, I was served almost immediately. Something that was a 25 minute job last year. Overall I was hugely disappointed with the turnout and the arrangement.

Rumour has it that they lost big money this year, which might mean its the last year for it.

That's a shame. John Spillane was playing and he's very good. I watched him doing the soundcheck during the day - in the rain again. They had the town closed off to cars, there were buskers out, and stilt walkers and baloons. Then a dark cloud and wind arrived, it started lashing and everyone legged it. I think the wet weather ruined it. I was in town Friday night too - it was miserable out.

channelsurfer

i have to say that it was the poorest excuse for a festival I ever saw. apart from the fireworks on the sunday evening....no atmosphere around town at all and I think the committee probably need to re-think where it goes from here. its obviously down hill compared to last year. thats my opinion anyway. btw the funfair in the market square on the sunday night around 9.30pm had nothing but young teenagers in it that were very rowdy and it was certainly not family friendy.

Mahocky

John Spillan's not bad, but the attendance for his 'headline' show was truly embarrassing. The only thing that seems to draw a half decent crowd every year is the fireworks.
Maybe they should turn it into a fireworks festival! I think I have an old sky rocket in the shed they can have for starters.

Quazzie

Mahocky wrote: »

John Spillan's not bad, but the attendance for his 'headline' show was truly embarrassing. The only thing that seems to draw a half decent crowd every year is the fireworks.
Maybe they should turn it into a fireworks festival! I think I have an old sky rocket in the shed they can have for starters.

I was talking to Spillane before he went on, and the tech guys didn't want him going near the stage as it was pissing rain and some of the equipment was looking a bit dodgy after being affect by the rain, but Spillane was hearing none of it. He came to play a gig, and he was determined to do it. Fair play to the man. Just a pity there wasn't more of a crowd to greet him. His act depends largely on the crowd he is playing to.

The fireworks were pretty ok. A stupid place to hold them in fairness. The streetlights on the road blocked a lot of them, and if they had planned for the streetlights to be turned off the 12 minutes it was on, it would've added greatly to it.

Dusty87

It was poor. I only knew it was on because i seen it last week in the tribune. Can anyone remember the first year, what wit the fire breathers etc. Seems to have gone downhill somethin shocking. Could they be holdin back money for the fleadh??

kimberworth

I was down there at w/end visiting friends. We were in the town Saturday evening around 5pm when a fight kicked off near the traffic lights at Supermacs. Most of the shop owners locked their doors - thankfully we were inside a shop at the time so managed to watch in safety!!! It seemed pretty organised as once it got started there were lads jumping out of vans which were parked along the street. The Gardai were kept busy trying to break it up.

As for the festival - bad weather or not there didn't seem to be any atmosphere in the town i.e. on the streets or in the pubs.

Dusty87

kimberworth wrote: »

I was down there at w/end visiting friends. We were in the town Saturday evening around 5pm when a fight kicked off near the traffic lights at Supermacs. Most of the shop owners locked their doors - thankfully we were inside a shop at the time so managed to watch in safety!!! It seemed pretty organised as once it got started there were lads jumping out of vans which were parked along the street. The Gardai were kept busy trying to break it up.

As for the festival - bad weather or not there didn't seem to be any atmosphere in the town i.e. on the streets or in the pubs.

Probably the only thing worth seeing. Why wasn that advertised!!:P