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Official Program

M A J O R SPONSOR

21st

BIRTHDAY

koroitirishfestival.com.au @koroitirishfestival

28 - 30 April 2017

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CONTENTS WELCOME President’s Message 3 Festival Committee 3

ARTIST PROFILES 4

PROGRAM Festival Program 8Festival Map 9

FEATURES Artist of the Year 10It’s Our 21st Birthday! 11Great Signs 11Tickets Please 12 Sunday, Funday 13Flaming Folk 14Brilliant Buskers 14

SPONSORS 16

FESTIVAL COMMITTEE Chris Evans President / Kids Entertainment James Sault Treasurer Emma McElgunn Secretary / Gaelic sports Anthony Brady Music DirectorLeon Carey Sponsorship Dallas Ludeman Sponsorship Emma Moloney Sponsorship / Festival ProgramBarry Brody Infrastructure / Street Procession Jarrod Gleeson InfrastructureAnthony Dowling Street Procession / Schools Neale Dobson Street Procession / Schools Emma Riddington Danny Boy / Emerging Talent Oonagh Kilpatrick Irish Liaison Sharon Wohlers Street StallsCatriona Hill WebsiteAdele MacDonald Pizza Cook-Off / Flaming Folk Peter McDonald Venue Management Kevin Dwyer Venue ManagerJulian McElgunn Village Green EntertainmentAnthony Evans OH&SSafetyOfficerNatarsha O’Donnell Street Entertainment / Slow Session

President’s MessageWelcome to this years Koroit Irish Festival, our 21st staging.

This milestone is a great achievement and I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge all the time and effort of not only the volunteers who have ever so kindly donated their time and resources, but also the community organisations who embrace and support our great event. Without this dedication, support and hard work we would not be enjoying the wonderful event we stage each year.

We would also like to recognise all the fantastic performers and entertainers who make our event what it is.

To all the people and businesses of Koroit, congratulations to you on the ongoing support you give to this amazing event each year.

In particular I would like acknowledge our Major Sponsor Koroit Lions Club Op Shop along with our Gold Clover Sponsors Commercial Hotel, Dalys IGA, Davidson’s Quarries, Izzys Restaurant, James Purcell, Murray Goulburn, Oliver Ramsay Security, Programmed, Snaauw’s Kitchens and Western District Crane Services.

Also to our Festival Partners Embassy of Ireland, FRRR, Gwen and Edna Jones Foundation, Port Fairy Folk Festival, Moyne Shire Council, South West Community Foundation Koroit Sub Fund and Visit Victoria. Thank you to our official media partners 3YB and The Standard. Your support is invaluable.

On behalf of the Irish festival committee we hope you enjoy this years festival. Happy 21st!

RegardsChris

CHRIS EVANS President Koroit Irish Festival Committee

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FRI Sold OutSAT $15 U/18 FREE

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Artist ProfilesANGELA KENNA AND KEELAN MAST

This dynamic duo have teamed up to create some memorable music and performances in 2017. Both talented performers in their own right, Angela and Keelan are planning to give Koroit Irish Festival patrons a show to remember.

Sat 12.50pm Moyne Shire Youth Stage

BHAN TRE

We are very excited that Bhan Tre is coming to Koroit to be part of our 21st Birthday. Bhan Tre have long been a Koroit Irish Festival favourite and their performances in 2017 will be highly anticipated.

Sat 12.45pm Dalys IGA Village GreenSat 4.00pm Koroit Theatre

CILL-AIRNE

One of the best traditional Irish groups in the country, Cill-Airne have a wealth of talent that is displayed in their high quality performances. Cill-Airne put their own spin on some classic Irish

tunes and are an authentic and most loved part of the Koroit Irish Festival family.

Sat 1.45pm Izzys RestaurantSat 3.15pm Oliver Ramsay Stage

DAMIEN LEITH

The brilliant Damien Leith will make a return to Koroit in 2017. This outstanding performer has been thrilling crowds for over a decade and he will again be a star of the Koroit Irish Festival.

Sat 6.00pm Koroit Theatre

DREAM SEASON

Susan Malikoff and Katrina van Someren are secondary students from Warrnambool. Although young, they are quickly gaining recognition and creating a name for themselves as an emerging band in the local music scene.

Sat 3.25pm Moyne Shire Youth Stage

DRUMWORX

We are thrilled that Drumworx is coming to the 2017 Koroit Irish

Festival. They will set the streets of Koroit alight with their brilliance, as they have at festivals across Australia.

Sat 12.45pm Oliver Ramsay Stage

GABBY STEEL

Gabby Steel is a 17 year old who has always had a passion for music and being on stage. Though she enjoys performing a variety of music, the old classics that get you singing and tapping your toes are her favourites to play. She has played guitar and piano for the past nine years.

Sat 1.40pm Moyne Shire Youth Stage

JIMEOIN

One of Australia’s best comedians and favourite Irishmen is coming to Koroit where he will perform a one-hour show and also take part in a one-on-one interview on the night as part of his role as the 2017 Koroit Irish Festival Ambassador. Jimeoin will not appear at the Festival on Saturday.

Fri 8.00pm Koroit Theatre (sold out)

KAYLA DWYER

Koroit’s very own shooting star. Kayla Dwyer is making some serious headway in her musical career having performed at Tamworth as well as a knockout show at last year’s Koroit Irish Festival. Be prepared to be blown away by this exciting local talent as she hits the stage in her home town.

Sat 12.30pm Koroit Theatre

KNOT O’ THE GATE

Melbourne band Knot O’ The Gate will make their Koroit debut. They are regulars at the Melbourne Celtic Club and will be a huge addition to our great Festival.

Fri 8.00pm Commercial HotelSat 1.15pm Oliver Ramsay StageSat 4.15pm Dalys IGA Village Green

LIKELY CELTS

An exciting yet relaxing mix of Irish and traditional arrangements, original tunes and songs, treated with a reverent splash of other world elements. Likely Celts are excited for 2017 and their ‘funky blend’ of existing and new material.

Sat 11.00am Oliver Ramsay StageSat 2.45pm Izzys Restaurant

FRIDAY 28 APRIL

Knot O' The Gate

SATURDAY 29 APRIL 10am Tommy Tuddy & Mick

1.30pm - 3pm Danny Boy Heats 4pm Mel and Trevor

SATURDAY NIGHT8pm Zeon

Irish Rock Band

Join us for some great CRIAC

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Artist Profiles

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TOMMY, TUDDY AND MICK

This trio of Tommy Brooks, Frank “Tuddy” Bowman and Mick Morgan have been regulars at the Koroit Irish Festival since it began in 1997.

Sat 10.00am Commercial HotelSat 11.00am Izzys Restaurant

TONGUE TIED

Tongue Tied is a Warrnambool based singing, song writing pop and soul duo, Indie and Hudson Buckle, who craft and soulfully sing covers, with flecks of originals.

Sat 1.15pm Moyne Shire Youth Stage

ZEON

One of the most exciting young Irish bands in Australia, Zeon are established stars in Melbourne and can’t wait to play at the Koroit Irish Festival. Zeon bring incredible energy to the stage and will have the crowd up and dancing.

Sat 1.45pm Dalys IGA Village GreenSat 4.15pm Oliver Ramsay StageSat 8.00pm Commercial Hotel

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MARIA FORDE

Our 2015 Festival Artist of the Year Maria Forde is back playing on Saturday in the Festival Arena and on Sunday at the Infant Jesus Church.

Sat 12.45pm Izzys RestaurantSat 2.30pm Koroit TheatreSun 10.30am Mass, Infant Jesus Church KoroitSun 12noon Sing a Song for Ireland Show, Infant Jesus Church Koroit

NANCIE SCHIPPER

An amazing young talent, this singer/songwriter from Killarney is making a huge impact in the music industry. Nancie Schipper is already a star and is bound for even greater things.

Sat 11.00am Dalys IGA Village Green

NICK ALEXANDER

Nick Alexander is a 22-year-old musician and a rising star of the south-west’s music scene. He has played throughout Warrnambool and surrounding suburbs in his band Altered Minds over the past

three years. Throughout that time, he has also played solo acoustic gigs and events on the side.

Sat 3.00pm Moyne Shire Youth Stage

OLD MELBOURNE ROAD

Old Melbourne Road are a six piece band hailing from Ballarat. They play a mixture of Australian and Irish folk music and the bands philosophy is mandatory craic for all who come to see.

Fri 8.00pm Mickey Bourkes HotelSat 2.15pm Oliver Ramsay StageSat 3.15pm Dalys IGA Village GreenSat 8.00pm Mickey Bourkes Hotel

SINCE TUESDAY

A brilliant four-piece band from Portland who continue to make a name for themselves with original tunes and outstanding covers. Since Tuesday won the Beks Bowman Emerging Talent Award at the Koroit Irish Festival in 2015.

Sat 2.35pm Moyne Shire Youth Stage

THE COMMON

Emerging from a weekly Irish 'shed' session, The Common revel in traditional Irish tunes blended with contemporary folk rock songs and Newfoundland sea shanties. This thigh-slapping trio from the Geelong Surf Coast, sail from sweetly sad ballads to rollicking and rambunctious sing-a-longs that will no doubt catch the eye and delight the ear.

Sat 1.30pm Koroit TheatreSat 3.45pm Izzys Restaurant

THE SIMPSON THREE

The Simpson Three are a trio of siblings who perform predominantly Irish music, with a few interesting flavours! They are highly talented multi-instrumentalists who perform tight and refined arrangements of traditional and contemporary tunes and songs.

Fri 8.00pm Koroit Theatre (sold out)Sat 2.05pm Moyne Shire Youth Stage

TIOSAV JOY

One of the most exciting young bands coming out of south-west Victoria. Brilliant vocals and musicianship make them a must-see act.

Sat 3.50pm Moyne Shire Youth Stage

Artist Profiles Artist Profiles

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FRIDAY 28 APRIL 2017Euchre Tournament, 1.00pm Senior Citizens Clubrooms, KoroitFun Run Walk, 5.10pm The Blackwood Centre, KoroitOpening Night, 7.45pm Koroit Theatre (sold out)Featuring Jimeoin, Irish quiz and songs from The Simpson Three. Bar And Supper Available.

Live Music Izzys Restaurant - Live Music Mickey Bourkes Koroit Hotel - Old Melbourne Road Commercial Hotel - Knot O’ The Gate

SATURDAY 29 APRIL 2017Commercial Road, 10.00am-7.00pmKoroit Theatre 10.00am-11.45am Beks Bowman Emerging Talent Award 12.30pm-1.15pm Kayla Dwyer 1.30pm-2.15pm The Common 2.30pm-3.15pm Maria Forde 3.30pm-3.45pm Artist Of The Year Presentation 4.00pm-4.45pm Bhan Tre 5.00pm-5.45pm Koroit Bakehouse Australian Danny Boy Championship Final 6.00pm-7.00pm Damien LeithIzzys Restaurant 11.00am-11.45am Tommy, Tuddy And Mick 12.45pm-1.30pmMaria Forde 1.45pm-2.30pm Cill-Airne 2.45pm-3.30pmLikely Celts 3.45pm-4.30pmThe CommonDalys IGA Village Green 10.00am-5.00pmKids Area $10 For All Day Access 11.00am-11.45amNancie Schipper

12.40pm-12.45pmNaming Of Flaming Folk Person Of The Year 12.45pm-1.30pmBhan Tre 1.45pm-2.30pmZeon 2.45pm-3.15pmSpud Picking and Spud Peeling Championships 3.15pm-4.00pmOld Melbourne Road 4.00pm-4.15pmBig Fat Irish Pizza Competition 4.15pm-5.00pmKnot O’ The GateOliver Ramsay Stage 11.00am-11.45amLikely Celts 12.45pm-1.05pmDrumworx 1.15pm-2.00pmKnot O’ The Gate 2.15pm-3.00pmOld Melbourne Road 3.15pm-4.00pmCill-Airne 4.15pm-5.00pmZeonMoyne Shire Youth Stage 12.50pm-1.10pmAngela Kenna and Keelan Mast 1.15pm-1.35pmTongue Tied 1.40pm-2.00pmGabby Steel 2.05pm-2.30pmThe Simpson Three 2.35pm-2.55pmSince Tuesday 3.00pm-3.20pmNick Alexander 3.25pm-3.45pmDream Season 3.50pm-4.10pmTiosav JoyCommercial Hotel 10.00am-11:00amTommy, Tuddy And Mick 1.30pm-2.00pmDanny Boy Heats 2.30pm-3.00pm Danny Boy Heats 4.00pm-6.00pmMelissa Bowman And Trevor McKenzie 8.00pm-late Zeon

Commercial Road 12noonKoroit Lions Club Op Shop Street Procession (Featuring The Flaming Folk Parade)All Day Street Entertainment O’Shea-Ryan Academy of Irish Dance, Warrnambool Ukulele Group, Rhys CrimminKids Area Village Green$10 All Day Access.BuskersTin Sheddies, Terry & Dennis, Andrew Beale & Family, The Rubberband, Wednesday Whistlers & Co, Sing Australia, COD & Friends, Since Tuesday, Gabby Steel, Kirky Krew.Other ActivitiesIrish Skiddles, Chook Lotto, Market Stalls, Moyne Shire Youth Council Art Exhibition, Irish County Flags, Soda Bread Making, Horse and Coach Rides, 21st Birthday Cake Display, Koroit Sign Display, History Display, Floral Art Display.Evening Live Music Izzys Restaurant Live Music Mickey Bourkes Koroit HotelOld Melbourne Road, 8.00pm Commercial HotelZeon, 8.00pm

SUNDAY 30 APRIL 2017Big Brekkie and Last Laugh, 8.00am-12noon Koroit Bowls Club

Festival Mass, 10.30am Infant Jesus Church KoroitFeaturing Maria Forde.

Sing a Song for Ireland Show, Maria Forde, 12noon Infant Jesus Church Koroit

Gaelic Games Carnival, 12noon-4.00pm Victoria Park, KoroitFeaturing Visiting And Local Teams In Camogie (Womens Hurling) and Womens And Mens Gaelic Football.

Traditional Irish Music Session. 12noon - 4.00pm Victoria Park, Koroit

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Festival Program

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2017 KOROIT IRISH FESTIVAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR

On this our 21st birthday, what better way to celebrate an act that has been to all of our festivals than bestow the title of Artist of the Year?That act is the O’Shea-Ryan Academy of Irish Dance, a timeless favourite at the Koroit Irish Festival.

You know the festival is up and going when you

look down Commercial Road and see a huge crowd gathered around the dancers. The Irish dancing is a highlight of the Festival for many, led by Geraldine Ryan, the dancers add colour, life and excitement.

Koroit Irish Festival president Chris Evans said the O’Shea-Ryan Academy of Irish Dance is a worthy recipient of the Artist of the Year award.“The Irish dancing is such a big part of the Koroit Irish Festival,” Mr Evans said.

“Geraldine does a magnificent job and we are just thrilled to be able to honour these dancers and say thank you for their efforts.”

The dancers will be located in front of the old Koroit Motor Garage on Saturday. The presentation of the Artist of the Year will be made to the O’Shea-Ryan Academy of Irish Dances in the Koroit Theatre at 3.30pm on Saturday.

IT’S OUR 21ST BIRTHDAY!

The Koroit Irish Festival is coming of age and we have a huge party planned to celebrate. Like all good parties, we have a cake and a card.

Members of the public have created their own Koroit Irish Festival birthday cakes which will be on display this weekend. There will also be a giant birthday card we want everyone to sign, your chance to leave a lasting memory of your involvement in our 21st Festival.

GREAT SIGNS

A display of signs will feature along Commercial Road which promote the Festival and tell the story of the history of the town and its links to Ireland. These signs include images of the potato industry, sport, music, dance, song and family. The creation of these signs has come about through a grant from Federal Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) Small Grants for Rural Communities program. Thank you to FRRR for their incredible support. Thanks also to The Standard newspaper and Melbourne photographer Andrew Brown for use of their images.

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T: 03 5565 8188 M: 0429 804 207 E: akcozens@bigpond.net.au 177 Commercial Road Koroit VIC 3282 abn 97 354 175 676

Proud Supporter of the Koroit Irish Festival

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Koroit Irish Festival - Alarm Monitoring Special Offer

• 24 Hour Back-to-Base Monitoring

• Grade A1 Control Room

• No Lock-in Contract – Cancel Anytime

• No Cost to Change Over

• Free Alarm Test by our Qualified Technicians

• Only $5.50 per week*Proud Sponsors of the Koroit Irish Festival

TICKETS PLEASE

The Koroit Irish Festival can only happen through great community partnerships. We have many great partnerships with groups, clubs and schools in our community.

A key one of those partnerships is with the Koroit Lions Club who are not only a major sponsor but also man the gates at the Festival.

This year we have received funding from the Gwen and Edna Jones Foundation to build ticket boxes which will stand at each entry point.

Not only will these ticket boxes be functional, they will also look fantastic and add great colour to the street. We have also received funding from the Port Fairy Folk Festival to build a merchandise stand, another wonderful asset and step forward for the Festival.

We thank both the Gwen and Edna Jones Foundation and the Port Fairy Folk Festival for such great support. Also, a special thanks to our Festival infrastructure team leaders Jarrod Gleeson and Neale Dobson for driving this project.

SUNDAY, FUNDAY

One of the great advancements in the Koroit Irish Festival in recent times has been the growth of the program for the Sunday of the event. This year is no different, with plenty for people to do.

The Koroit Irish Festival Mass at Infant Jesus Church is always popular with performances from Maria Forde. The mass will be followed by a concert by Maria.

The Koroit Bowls Club will again have its Big Brekkie and Last Laugh, the perfect way to kick-start your Sunday morning.

The action then moves to Victoria Park for the Gaelic Games day with 40 of the best women's Gaelic footballers and Camogie players from Melbourne strutting there stuff alongside some keen local teams.

Off the field, Jo Brooks will once again be leading a traditional session in the football clubrooms with some of the best session players in Australia joining in.

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Just give our friendly staff a call!Phone: 1300 471 071 Email: info@orsecurity.com.au *Note: offer includes GST and is for “dial up” only

JAMES PURCELL MP Member for Western Victoria

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FLAMING FOLKFormer Southern Cross resident Sally Morris returned to Koroit for the Festival last year and was thrilled to take part in the inaugural Flaming Folk Parade. Sally loved it so much, she is returning this year as a sponsor of an event that has quickly caught on as a fun, loving way to honour the ginger-haired, another Irish trait that lives proudly on in Koroit.

BRILLIANT BUSKINGStreet Entertainment Coordinator Natarsha O’Donnell has again assembled some great buskers to line Commercial Road.

A highlight this year will be an appearance from Melbourne musician Rhys Crimmin who was named as the Busker of the Year at the famed Port Fairy Folk Festival in March.

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TONY0409 026 054tony@wdcraneservices.com

CHRIS0400 141 434chris@wdcraneservices.com

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