Heady Days: Féile na Gréine shortlisted at the Shark Awards

There are few festivals that capture the spirit of a place quite like Féile na Gréine. Every August, it transforms Limerick into a living, breathing stage, it is a celebration of art and community.

This year, our work with Féile na Gréine was shortlisted in The Shark Awards, and it feels like the right moment to look back not just at the work, but at the history of the festival and the people behind it.

There’s no one better than the festival’s Creative Director (and Piquant’s own Video Editor), Graham Patterson, to tell you everything about how it all began, what keeps it growing, and the strange, brilliant energy that makes Féile Na Gréine so unique in the Irish festival landscape. Once again, Féile Na Gréine ended up becoming a love letter to community, chaos, and coming together.

What does it feel like getting back to this project year after year?

There is such a huge build up to the festival each year, culminating in the weekend itself. It takes up a lot of energy, and a real break is needed to adjust back to normal life. When the time comes around to prepare for next year's festival, however, I'm ready to get back into it. There's always some new challenging and exciting aspect that drives you to make the next festival better than the last.

If you had to choose one moment that defined this year’s edition, what would it be?

The moment that defined this year's festival for me was our launch event in the Redemptorist Church, with Amanda Feery's performance of 'NEST'. 'NEST' is such a timely and affecting composition; dealing with themes of home and refuge, occupation of land, and the violence of colonisation. The use of the church was a provocative setting for the music, but also a reflection of Féile Na Gréine's ethos to explore alternative venues for live music, and open up spaces in Limerick to people. It felt like a really special moment for the festival.

What’s the strangest moment you've ever had while running the festival?

By far the strangest moment I've had during the festival was during Messyng's Record Room set in 2022. They were joined on stage by These Are Atoms and proceeded to sing a song they wrote together, containing the lyrics "We love Graham Patterson!", and got the whole room chanting the line. It was a very surreal experience, and I didn't know how to handle the situation. Very flattering though.

If you could teleport an artist from any time or place into next year's lineup, who’s heading?

Féile Na Gréine highlights emerging artists from Ireland's underground scene. We're less concerned about legacy acts from the past, choosing instead to platform the amazing music being produced in the country right now. It's been inspiring to see a number of acts that have played Féile in previous years get deserved recognition within the national music landscape, as well as going on to being internationally acclaimed.

If Féile na Gréine was a dish, what would it be?

A 3-in-1 from Madam Mok, with a 99 for dessert.