Éalú Le Grá is a petit bijou music and experiential extravaganza, hosting its fifth anniversary edition over the June Bank Holiday weekend, with a trojan line-up of cutting-edge Irish warriors and international gladiators, including Hammer, Christopher Coe, Fabe, Aoife Nic Canna, Tara Casey, Ronan Ó Snodaigh, and Natural Symphony.
There are many other electronic music festival contenders for said weekend, and although Éalú Le Grá (ELG) is modest in stature by comparison, it continues to mushroom in scale annually, and this year the festival is hoping to welcome one thousand festival-goers to its possible new forever home. ELG’s grassroots production team remain steadfast in their focus on nurturing and illuminating our abundant Irish talent, while highlighting a sustainable site ethos and ensuring to give all revellers the most heartfelt céad míle fáilte.
One of its founding members, Daithí Kelly, recently chatted to Emer O’Connor about how the idea of Éalú was conceived, the birth of his new baby on the banks of the River Lung, and what it takes to raise a fully independent festival.
“Myself and Evan McSweeney were living over in the States for a couple of years and we had great aspirations to do something back home,” he says. “Then, with Covid, we came back and all lived within the 5km radius from each other. Tommy Bradshaw is my next-door neighbour, and Evan only lives a mile out the road, so because we were in close quarters to each other and spent a lot of time together anyway – and we wanted to facilitate a gathering of people between ourselves – the idea was in the make-up for years. But that’s what actually sparked it — we said, ‘okay, the time is now’.
“Due to the restrictions, we had about 120 the first year out in Ballaghaderreen, a place called Willowbrook, owned by friends of ours who were, and still are, running a retreat centre there and an Airbnb. So they graciously offered the land and we put the thinking caps on to see what we could do here. The brainstorming sessions started, then it grew legs in terms of the offerings — to two stages and workshops and wellness events. So we decided to do things properly and give it a storyline and an identity as well. We knew we were gonna get the right people — that was the important thing for us: start small, see how it feels.
“We needed the right people to bring things together, some that knew each other, some that hadn’t met. Then once everyone came together there that first year, it really kicked it off because it showed the interest and the connectivity between people, and the ideas were just flowing. So after that it was: what’s next, what’s next? So it grew legs — it’s kinda doubled in size every year since.”
ELG moved locations four times in five years but has high hopes that this year’s stunning grounds, amongst the giant oak trees that surround a fine Georgian house in East Galway, will finally take root.
“We decided to move to Ballinderry Park, an estate in Kilconnell which is about 45 minutes outside the city, off the motorway to Dublin, which shortens the gap from the East. It’s a beautiful site.
Marketing guru Rowan Barlow Stainsby of Kraft Digital Agency decided to buy the 300-year-old former Franciscan Friary with his wife Laoise last year, and documented its painstaking refurbishment, which they cleverly shared online via YouTube and asked people to share in their journey. The pair even set up a three-day dry-stone walling course on the grounds of the estate to share the mastery of the ancient craft, while paying for bed and board on site.
“He’s one of us, into festivals, throws his own events, into music, gets the craic, knows what’s going on… we finally have a home where we’re building the festival long-term together, putting permanent structures in place, roads and access points—not just a pop-up.”
One of the biggest challenges for the crew this year was the land that was hit so hard by Storm Éowyn in January. Several of Ballinderry’s 150-year-old oak trees didn’t survive the blasts from winds in excess of 180km. In collaboration with the owners of the land, they have taken a beautifully holistic approach to clearing the site and repurposing the wood to make benches, organic fencing, and even an entirely new stage. It’s clear to see their eagle eyes are firmly set on the long-term future of the site.
It’s not just the location that changed over the years but also the time of year, which is most important to Kelly and the crew.
“The first two years we held it in September, then we moved to June, and we think that was a really impactful decision because obviously with the weather we’ve been blessed, but with those connections that are made in June, people carry that energy with them through the summer. So whether it’s through people or through going to other festivals, like Fuinneamh and Hidden Heart, who are friends and people we really respect, along with Last City at ATN, they’re family, and we do a lot of shared collaboration with them when it comes to the Parade and some of the workshops.
“We’re all kind of helping each other, in the independent side of things here, and it’s a great feeling when you’re at the other festivals to meet up, and to connect with people, and you end up spending the weekend together. I think along with the shared experience, that’s another example of how we can work together.”
This small but serious music and arts festival has a wealth of event professionals behind the scenes, with 30 people down for the build this week and over 40 volunteers over the weekend, including medics, 17 Psycare volunteer workers, 24-hour security staff, and their Production Office team who work around the clock to ensure all support is in hand and it flows efficiently.
“There’s a direct chain of command going through it just to make sure there is support and everything flows the way it needs to, and any curve balls that are inevitably gonna come can be managed and dealt with the right way.”
ELG’s extensive line-up comes from the core trio’s creative direction, who decided to expand on their live music selection this year and create even more diversity with the electronic stage. There are five stages in total, and each hosts its own unique ethos, including the main stage, Draoícht Anocht, the mainly electronic Casual Banana stage, which will also hold special events during the day and a bit more variety at night, All In Due Time, the live stage for bands and singer-songwriters, and more.
Daithí gave 909originals his list of personal preferences of who to watch out for over the weekend: “I’m so excited to see Hammer in particular, with his background and knowing him as a person. I’ve been following him for a long time, since he started Feel My Bicep. [Check out 909originals’ recent interview with Hammer here]
“On the live stage, Ronan Ó Snodaigh is a standout for me because he brings that extra layer of trad and Kíla, and again, having met him and spoken to him as a Gaelgóir, I think he’s obviously done and seen a lot. I’d be interested to get his perspective. Aoife Nic Canna is another one we’ve been following for a while, who’s been coming up the polls in other festivals we’ve frequented. Homegrown, we’d be talking the Leon Stacks Equation from Galway. Tribal Chieftains are friends of ours from playing ATN – more performance and theatrical. Special K Pirates, to see what songs they’re coming out with as well. Dylan Fogarty, more on the techno side of things, Charles Maloney – it’ll be interesting to see what they’ve been doing, especially in Limerick and Dublin, with their own gigs.
“Also, Sturge – I’m really excited to see him. He’s a close friend of mine, and he’s really so dedicated to his craft. He’s going to be doing a hybrid set this year – his debut with that set. I’m so excited to see that for him, personally and musically, because he’s been with us since the start, and he’s a big part of the DNA of what Éalú’s about.
“Elsewhere, Celaviedmai is on the RnB side of things, so we’re adding a bit more variety to the live stage. It will be interesting to see how people respond to that. Grooveline have a special performance this year and have been part of the line-up for the last three years. I just saw them in the Róisín Dubh there two weeks ago – they’ve their new EP out. It will be great to see that on the Éalú stage; they’re such a big part of our evolution too, watching them grow. Oh, and Reclaim the Mainframe – I have always loved them.”
For those of you who have not been privy to the underground world of the Dublin scene, Reclaim the Mainframe are the promoters of dynamite daytime and witching-hour dance music gatherings hosted by Dublin’s Pawn Shop, and the secret back-alley space Afuera at 777Dublin.
Another incredible act with a cult following, who grew organically from the Éalú epicentre, is the Special K Pirates – an electronic folk trad melting pot of brilliantly brazen true Irish talent, consisting of vocalist Chanelle Marzouk and producers FRYA (aka Freya Bartels) and Darragh O’Connor (aka the Fluid Druid), who took some time out of fine-tuning their brand-new act to explain their exalting dynamic.
“Well, we’re all musicians, we’re all creative, we’re all into the tunes. Wouldn’t it be gas if we put together an act that specifically embodies what we saw as that outrageous, theatrical, over-the-top energy that we love to find at festivals? So we solidified our strengths – Chanelle brings the front-lady energy; she’s released several albums over the years and is a bit of a pirate queen herself. Then my partner Freya released an electronic album, and we’ve been making tunes together for a while, now figuring out how to do everything live.
“Then the last piece of the puzzle is actually my mother, Sandra Butler, who has played piano all her life and got into the festival scene at the same time as me. She is very much a part of the tribe, dressing as a pirate for all our gigs from the beginning, so when we decided to bring in live keys, she was a natural choice. We’re all living and breathing the craic and want to share that with the tribe, and show our dazzling, saucy fun. Now this year, we’ve written a whole new show from scratch – all original music – and we’re doing it for the people we know are going to be there.
“Many of our songs are inspired by, or written about, friends we have in the audience. So we make a great effort to involve other people, and we have guest vocalists coming on board as the show progresses. We like to go for a revolving door of this cast of characters—we want to platform people that we know are insanely talented but might not have had that chance to get up on stage and do it.”
Other original members of the ELG family getting up behind the DJ booth this weekend are the inimitable YAWLAG Collective, of which Daithí is one member out of nine supercharged DJs in total. Another sassy group of gal pals who formed last year consists of six soul-stirring disco, house-to-techno selectors called Mahná Mahná, who eagerly await their Éalú début.
“We’ve a good mix, and we are conscious of it. Every year when we look at the line-up – I think now in terms of quantity, it is a male-dominated music industry – but in terms of quality, it’s right there as equal. It’s become very much part of what we’re doing, whether it’s in Galway or nationally, who we want to get in. I think there’s a good balance there.”
It’s not just the music that takes the spotlight at Éalú; there is a huge emphasis on production values, artistry, education, and wellness. Members of Macnas, the iconic Galwegian puppeteers, will invite the crowds to feast their eyes on their spectacular creations. Visual artist Ross Ryder has undertaken projection mapping in the forest, and fairy creations will be flying in fast from Uisneach. Joey Dean from Natural Symphony will also be bringing his light installations, which consist of 10,000 LEDs for a fully immersive firefly effect in the forest.
One of the other stages includes Seomra Ranga, which will host special talks and ranganna Gaeilge with Catherine O’Beirne (Irish classes), which will merge into a fully immersive foraging class, and workshops on boundaries and consent, pus cacao and lotus ceremonies, then the massage and sauna area.
There’s also a broad food offering with Ireland’s best mobile vegan magicians Bish Bosh, flavoursome Japanese fusion food from Richard Anthony, the best hot cuppas from the Barista Bus, and gourmet Weirdough Pizza covering all bases (ba-dum-tish). And the best news of all – the site is fully BYOB with no limits, except for everyone to remain mindful of the sustainable side of things.
So why choose Éalú le Grá over every other festival this sunny (remember the Child of Prague!) bank holiday weekend?
“If you’re looking for an intimate weekend experience, where it’s connected, there’s variety, and it’s very experiential, you can come to Éalú to be yourself – you will find what interests you the most,” says Kelly.
“Some people go to a festival with a set plan, but I think the beauty of what we’ve heard from the feedback is that you feel very welcomed, and we’re breaking down barriers, there is no ego, and you’ll find what fits your needs at the time, whether that’s music or people, or workshops or talks, or just getting a little bit silly.
“When you get to meet friends or new people, you get to see them over the course of the weekend. The connections that can and have evolved in an environment like this are very powerful. We’ve had people there that met the loves of their lives, housemates; also artistic collaborations have formed from it, like YAWLAG and Mahná Mahná.
“Compact and cozy festivals like ours give people a platform and a chance to connect but also get involved and find a space to share their gifts with people, and it’s very much appreciated, and we always try to instill that ethos in there: come down, show up, get stuck in, and the rest will fall into place. Some of the more unusual things that people are really into are the debs and the cabaret, and a fashion show. You go to the debs, get dressed up and you get to rewrite your story of the debs, and there’s a parade and a march that buzzes around the site – the list goes on…
“So I’d say to everyone, come your first year and just experience it, just go, get amongst it, see what fits and what sticks, what appeals to you. The response, of how willing people have been to get involved in it, has been really overwhelming. I think that’s the biggest learning: the power of community. Again, we’re just facilitating a platform for people to have a place to showcase their own skills, for them to be nourished – long may that continue. So as long as that stays part of it, we’ll stay passionate about it.
“We have established a very strong heartbeat and soul to it, that people can come in and feed off. I think that’s going to be the biggest challenge: helping things grow and keeping enough variety so people can keep that spirit and then have something new to experience every year and connect with. It’s exciting though, I love it, I love that aspect of it – it’s a challenge but a blessing too.”
Éalú Le Grá takes place at Balinderry Park, Kilconnell, Co. Galway from 30 May to 1 June. More information and tickets can be found here.
Check out the top tracks that the 909originals team has recently discovered through Musosoup here. To feature your music on 909originals, click here. 🙂
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