The world famous Ukulele Hooley celebrates 10th bash

A BIG birthday party is planned for the world famous Ukulele Hooley which celebrates its 10th anniversary in Dun Laoghaire this week.

Since its humble beginnings in the harbour town in 2009, the Ukulele Hooley has grown to become the leading ukulele festival in Europe, attracting thousands of enthusiasts to Dun Laoghaire every summer.

“Because it’s our 10th anniversary everything is going to be bigger and better”, promised Tony Boland, founder and organiser of the Hooley which takes place in Dun Laoghaire on Saturday and Sunday, August 17 and 18.

Supported by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, the Hooley is a non-commercial, family-friendly, free festival which brings ukulele players and fans from home and abroad to the town every August.

The Hooley will culminate as usual with the Big Concert in the People’s Park, Dun Laoghaire, on the Sunday which last year attracted 20,000 people over its seven hours of music and fun.

A feature of the concert will be the Big Jam with its theme of ‘Songs of the Sea’, which saw around 3,000 ukulele players joining in together last year.

Another popular annual feature – The Busk Bus – will bring ukulele music throughout the towns and villages of the Southside including Dalkey, Blackrock, Killiney, Monkstown and Glasthule as well as Dun Laoghaire.

And to mark the Hooley’s 10th birthday, a special song has been composed and recorded by Dublin ukulele player, Andrea Booth.

‘The Ukulele Hooley Song’ is now the official theme for this year’s Hooley and will be performed by Andrea, along with the Rathfarnham Ukulele Group, at the Big Concert in the People’s Park.

People can learn how to play a ukulele or fine-tune their skills at the Ukulele Workshops or take part in the Ukulele Hooley Open Mic event which takes place on the Dun Laoghaire seafront on Saturday night. 

A star-studded bill will round off the Hooley at the Big Concert in the People’s Park on Sunday featuring artists such as James Hill from Canada; Ukulezaz from the Netherland; Andy Eastwood from the UK and Bad Mouse from Germany. Popular favourites such as Liverpool’s Ukulele Uff Trio and the Dublin Ukulele Collective will also make a welcome return to the festival.