Samhain Celebration
Those who managed to get a coveted ticket to the “Samhain Sing Song with Damien Dempsey“ on the 18th of October at the Galway Community College auditorium certainly weren’t disappointed. The atmosphere was vibrant for the sold-out event, a perfect start to Galway’s celebration of the ancient Samhain Celtic festival.
The event was the brainchild of the Galway-based platform “Inspiring You,” which encourages real-life engagement and empathy, often urging people to put down their mobile phones and connect with each other “In Real Life”.
A Night of Craic, History, and Song
The evening was part of the “Gaillimh Ah Boo” festival, a nationwide initiative to reconnect with our ancient Celtic and Samhain traditions.
Galway Bay FM’s very own Ronan Lardner was the evening’s MC, keeping the audience entertained with his trademark wit and charm.
Before the main event, the crowd was treated to insightful talks. Dr. Daniel Curley, director of the Rathcroghan Centre in Roscommon, delivered a fascinating lecture on the origins of Samhain in Celtic times, including some chilling insights into the ‘Gates of Hell’ found at the historic site. Galway historian Brendan McGowan then intrigued the audience by explaining the quirkier aspects of Samhain traditions, tracing how the American pumpkin carving tradition evolved from our original carved turnip ‘Jack O’Lantern’ concept.
Bringing youthful energy to the first half were An Triúr Ceoltóirí—Emily Feery Quinn, Aoife Cribbin, and Orla Casey—a dynamic traditional music trio from Claregalway.
Damo’s Phone-Free Vision
Damien Dempsey has worked with the Inspiring You team for over a decade on projects that encourage young people to step away from screens and engage in real-life activities. “The Samhain Sing Song” was devised by them to encourage a reflection on our Celtic roots and the old culture of songs and stories.
Adding local star power to the line-up was Róisín Seoighe. Fittingly, the Galway girl had won a song competition organised by Inspiring You and Damien back in 2015. Her haunting rendition of “The West’s Awake” and “Cailleach an Airgead” earned a rapturous reception from the audience.
As it was an all-ages concert, it was wonderful to see young and old alike joining in with Damo, belting out beloved folk classics like “The Cliffs of Doneen”, “The Fields of Athenry”, “The Galway Shawl” and, of course, the iconic “Rocky Road to Dublin”.
The true magic of the night lay in so many people enjoying a simple, shared sing-song, peppered with stories and craic in a phone-free, alcohol-free environment.
The project was supported by Galway City Council and the Gaillimh Ah Boo festival, with BYD Galway as sponsors. Guests were also treated to a gift pack from Foods of Athenry.
All the memorable moments from the event were captured by KamilFilms, with content set to be shared soon.
To find out more about exciting projects promoting phone-free fun and community interaction, visit www.inspiringyou.ie or follow @inspiringyouirl on social media.
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