County Clare & Manchester join forces for international Bob Dylan Festival
Ireland's 'Bobfest' which takes place on Saturday 3rd July in Co. Clare, has joined forces with the UK’s only Bob Dylan Festival weekend which takes place in Manchester during the UK’s August Bank holiday on Friday 27 August and Saturday 28 August.
It is being staged at the internationally famous m19 bar in Levenshulme village, which is just a short taxi ride away from Manchester Airport. The venue has staged the likes of Ireland’s Eleanor McEvoy, Tom Hingley from the chart topping Manchester band Inspiral Carpets and The Men they Couldn’t Hang.
The highly acclaimed Limerick singer songwriter Keith Forde who is headlining Ireland's BobFest has won a place to appear in the UK’s only Bob Dylan Festival in Manchester on Saturday 28 August.
When asked about how he felt about joining forces with the Manchester Festival Keith replied “I think it’s a great idea that BobFest has teamed up with the Manchester Festival. There are very good travel links between the two cities which will make both festivals accessible to fans. I am a big fan of Bob Dylan and I also help to organise BobFest in Co. Clare, so being able to link the two festivals together and playing at both of them will be a great opportunity. I love getting together with a group of like minded people and playing Dylan songs all night long.”
The Manchester festival kicks off on Friday 27 August with a showcase featuring artists paying tribute to Dylan’s Irish roots and his connections to the Clancy brothers and Tommy Makem. The Saturday night showcase features acts paying tribute to his ‘Blues’ roots. It takes place at Levenshulme’s M19 Bar in Manchester over the UK’s Bank holiday weekend.
The UK and Irish festival are one of only eight Bob Dylan Festivals in the world, the others are in Moville, which is also in Ireland, California and Michigan in America, Berlin in Germany, a village in North Italy and Melbourne in Australia.
Acousticfest - the organisers of the UK festival said about the weekend’s festival “Bob Dylan has always had a massive connection with Irish artists, he was heavily influenced by the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. It is well documented about how Dylan used to hang out in the Irish pub ‘The White Horse’ in New York, where the Clancy’s played he took the tunes of the Clancy songs which were old Irish songs and put in his own words. We had a lot of visitors from Ireland last year and are expecting even more this year.”
Keith is an accomplished musician who has had chart success and international media attention with his previous bands Sutras and Vesta Varro. He turned solo in 2009 and immediately won third place in the international songwrittting competition out of 15,000 entries for his song "Pop Them Pills". Since then four of his songs have been licensed to the major American TV network CBS. He is currently doing a degree in Music Technology & Production and is recording his debut album.
Tickets for the festival are just £4 in advance per night or £8 for a weekend pass and are available from m19 or from the website www.m19bar.com
The line up for the festival is
Friday 27 August
UK’s Bob Dylan Festival Irish Night with
Shimeon, Mary Lucey, Mickey the Hat, Matthew Ganley, Easy Dream, James Butler and Denise Morgan
Saturday 28 August
UK’s Bob Dylan Festival Blues night with
Keith Forde, Ged Wilson, Joanna Lyon, Glyn Bailey & the Splendid things, Oyster, John Ridyard, Becky Rose & Elisa Mansell
M19 Bar, 847 Stockport Road, Levenshulme, Manchester, M19 3pw
Tel 0161 224 8135 www.m19bar.com
www.myspace.com/dylanacts
Manchester Irish Festival
The 2012 Manchester Irish Festival will run from
Friday 2nd March - Sunday 18th March 2012
Community Night will be at Manchester Town Hall on Friday 9th March 2012
Listings for the 2012 Brochure
It is now too late to send your free listings for festival events to us now to be included in the brochure
However events can be added to the listings on this website
2012 Festival Brochure
The printed 2012 festival brochure is not available yet.

Events can be added to the 2012 website listings by sending them to
info@manchesteririshfestival.co.uk
When the 2012 brochure is available you will be able to pick one up from Manchester Visitors Centre, O'Sheas, Irish World Heritage Centre, St. Kents, Hennigans Sports Bar and most Irish venues across Manchester
Facebook and Twitter
Manchester Irish Festival On Twitter
Festival Contacts
Acts wanting to Appear
Acts wanting to appear during the Festival
email info@manchesteririshfestival.co.uk
or for further information 07771 782 104
Press Enquiries
For all press/media enquiries
email Tony Hennigan
email press@manchesteririshfestival.co.uk
or text 079 125 129 77
Festival Market
For more details about the market in Albert Square
contact John Flanagan on 07771 577 332
or email Councillor John Flanagan
Brochure & Listings
For information about the Festival Brochure and Festival Listings telephone Kevin Fitzpatrick on 0770 237 1966
or write to the Manchester Irish Festival
c/o 36 Wilbraham Road, Fallowfield
Manchester, M14 7DW or
info@manchesteririshfestival.co.uk
This Website
For information about this website
contact the Website Marketing Director
Lawrence Hennigan on 07771 782 104 or
email info@manchesteririshfestival.co.uk




















