Féile Liam O’Flynn was bigger and better than ever

FÉILE Liam O’Flynn returned to Naas and Killl once again for the fourth annual celebration of trad music and the famous uilleann piper, Liam O’Flynn himself.

The spirit of traditional Irish music and community was alive and well across the communities of Naas and Kill as the annual Féile Liam O’Flynn drew “large crowds for a weekend of music, song, and dance,” even despite the stormy weather,” said committee chairperson, Mary Ryan.

The event, which took place from Thursday October 2 to Sunday, October 5, saw performances from some of Ireland’s finest traditional Irish musicians, including Brendan Begley, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, Sharon Shannon, Luka Bloom, and many others. Events spanned Naas and Kill, including instrumental workshops, plenty of sessions, and the popular ‘Try the Pipes’ experience.

Mary told the Kildare Nationalist that this year’s festival was “absolutely brilliant,” with a noticeable increase in both visitors and musicians compared to last year.

“There was a great buzz around, even more so than last year,” she said. “We had more musicians in town, more people at the events.” 

The festival featured concerts across four days, from Thursday through Sunday, with capacity crowds in attendance.

“The concerts on Friday and Saturday night were full, about 200 people each night,” Mary said. “Even Sunday’s events had big turnouts. People were just buzzing coming out of the concerts.” 

One of the standout moments of the weekend was the unveiling of a memorial sculpture in Kill village in honour of the late Liam O’Flynn, attended by former President Mary McAleese.

Despite torrential rain and high winds, the crowd stayed put to listen to McAleese’s speech.

“It was very special,” Mary said. “People stood out in the rain, including many older people. It was a very special moment for the village, a fitting tribute to Liam O’Shea and all who knew him.” 

A pipers’ gathering at the memorial rounded off the weekend, which organisers now hope to make an annual event.

Now in its fourth year, Féile Liam O’Flynn is steadily growing in reputation, attracting visitors from across Ireland and beyond, with Mary recalling people who visited home from London and New York for the event.

Looking ahead, the committee’s volunteers plan to stick with the successful format for 2026.

“It works well for us: an opening concert on the first night, plenty of sessions around the pubs, and a closing concert on Sunday,” said Mary.

“We want the local restaurants, cafés, and B&Bs to benefit too. It’s about bringing something back to the community.” 

Mary spoke highly of the committee that helped put the festival together:

“Everyone’s very energetic and brings something different to the committee, and they’re all willing to work hard. And it’s good fun as well, we all have great craic”.

With the fifth Féile Liam O’Flynn already in sight, it seems that this wonderful celebration of traditional music will only continue to grow “slowly but surely,” as Mary put it, “building further and further each year”.