Ballyheane Goes Country again in June

By Tom Gillespie

THE third Ballyheane Goes Country - the Big White Barn festival - will be staged at the Punch Bowl in Ballyheane village outside Castlebar in June.

The headline acts are Michael English, Derek Ryan and The Whistling Donkeys.

The organisers, Lawrence and Clare Staunton, proprietors of the Punch Bowl, are running the three-day event in conjunction with Ballyheane Soccer Club.

Clare Staunton said: “Ballyheane Goes Country will be held at the Punch Bowl on June 7, 8 and 9.

“Michael English will be on stage on Friday, June 7, with Andy Ferry. On Saturday, June 8, we have Stacey Breen who will be the support act for Derek Ryan, and on Sunday evening, June 9, we have Mylo and Vinny Kelly with the Whistling Donkeys as the main act.

“We erect a large marque in the car park where we provide a festival vibe with a full bar, toilets and a chipper van.

“We run the festival in conjunction with Ballyheane Soccer Club whose members give us a helping hand as barmen and stewards over the weekend to cater for up on 850 patrons each night.

“Once we cover our costs we give the club the remainder and they got a good few grand last year and hopefully it will be the same this year.”

Clare added: “We started the festival in 2019, then Covid hit, and last year was our first year back. People were looking to get out and Saturday and Sunday sold out. Hopefully this year’s event will be equally as successful.”

Tickers, priced at €25 for Friday and Saturday, June 7 and 8, and €30 on Sunday, June 9, are now on sale on Ballyheanegoescountry.com.

Last month Lawrence and Clare Staunton became the proprietors of the Punch Bowl having rented the premises for over 7½ years. It brought the premises back in the Staunton family after nearly 50 years when Lawrence’s parents Walter and Ann purchased it in 1976.