Creatives Roscommon to host open mic on new Úna Bhán at Night and Day festival

Creatives Roscommon are set to take over the Úna Bhán stage at this year's Night and Day music festival between the 29th and 31st of May.

Creatives Roscommon are bringing their open mic style event to the stage, with further artists on the lineup for the Úna Bhán will be announced in the coming weeks.

Creatives Roscommon will host an open mic-style event throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday, where festival-goers pop into their space to listen or share a piece of music, a poem, a joke, whatever they like.

This offer is an opportunity for festival-goers to experience performing in an intimate and relaxing setting, and a guitar and microphone will be ready for anyone who would like to drop in and share their talent.

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Several local-based musicians and songwriters will feature at this year's festival on Friday afternoon on the Una Ban stage, and there will also be music and Harp workshops on Saturday and Sunday at the festival. These are being organised by well-known musicians Mossie Martin and David Knight.

This will take place on the Úna Bhán stage, down by the water, which is named after the Celtic legend who is said to be buried on Trinity Island at Lough Key.

Under Irish legend, McDermott was the Chieftain of Moylurg, the Celtic Kingdom in North Roscommon. He had a beautiful daughter, Úna Bhán, – so named because of her long blonde hair. His neighbour was Tomás Láidir Costello, a good and sincere man, handsome and strong.

Úna Bhán and Tomás Láidir fell in love and wished to marry, but McDermott would not allow the marriage because he believed Tomás Láidir was not good enough for his daughter. Tomás Láidir was banished from the area, and McDermott had Úna Bhán confined on Castle Island, Lough Key, then called “The Rock”, which was located in the centre of McDermott territory.

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“We’re delighted to be partnering with Creatives Roscommon to showcase even more local talent at Night and Day,“ Said Craig Hughes, Co-founder of Night and Day.

“We decided to rename the Electric Cave stage as the Úna Bhán stage to tap in even deeper to the rich heritage of our home at Lough Key Forest Park,” he said.

Night and Day have already announced their headline acts, including The Saw Doctors, The Boomtown Rats, Hothouse Flowers, Jenny Greene, Richard Thompson, Big Country, Paddy Casey, Soda Blonde and Cardinals.