Marquees and Festivals

The photo at the left is the Geesala Festival marquee taken in July 1982 (click on the photo to enlarge). Once a mainstay of rural social life in Ireland, the marquees (like the ballrooms) have all but disappeared. Most marquees were set up in fields for a couple of weeks by local organizations, usually the G.A.A. club, to help raise funds for their annual operations, or to build a new clubhouse, or even fund a trip to play teams in the States. They were generally held in summer to take advantage of the "good" weather. Rarely ever dry, they usually consisted of a tent, some chairs, and a very wobbly stage. 

For bands, marquees were both a blessing and a curse. Usually they were well attended, being the single most important social "event" of the year for locals. In fact, the opening and closing night of a festival were usually guaranteed a packed house. On the other hand, facilities were extremely limited and in many cases, non existent. Bands had to change clothes in their vans, or behind the stage, or if they were lucky, a local house nearby where tea was served. Of course, if it was raining, the marquee was a nightmare. Click here or on the cartoon at right from the 1981 Festival of Avondale programme to get a better idea of the local view of marquee dancing!

Electrical power was usually dicey at best, and rarely strong enough to power a band's P.A., lighting rigs, and other gear. Stages were usually constructed of makeshift wooden platforms teetering on empty beer kegs. The tent robbed the band's sound of all clarity and for miles around, all you could hear was the thud thud thud of the bass. It was like playing into a wet rag, literally. 

Still, many musicians consider them part of the "good old days," before the disco lights, before the hotel extensions and supper dances. A time when the evening's entertainment depended on a band's ability to keep the audience up and dancing, or on that rare occasion, when whatever the band was doing was so good, people just stood and watched!

To show just how diverse the events scheduled at festivals could be, here's the full page schedule of events from the 1981 Festival of Avondale, Rathdrum. Enjoy the memories!