16
Dundalk Leader 25th April 2012
Vantastival 2012 – The count down is on to the summer’s first festival! Work is well underway on site at Bellurgan Park, Co. Louth, for Vantastival, which will take place over the May bank holiday weekend, May 4 to 6. With a new location this year, the festival crew are making the most of the natural materials at Bellurgan Park and are busy working on Vanhalla, a feature stage built from timber in the form of a Viking Longhouse. The stage will host a variety of acts over the weekend, including local hero Jinx Lennon and rising stars Ghost Estates and The Dirty Valentines, while doubling up as a venue for late night shenanigans after the music on the Main Stage has come to an end. Musicmaker Dublin will present a more chilled out line up of folk and electro in the Paddy Mirage marquee, a custom built timber-framed replica of Newgrange, with Dublin trio Swords and roots outfit I Draw Slow amongst those scheduled. The Open Mic Stage this year is set into a natural
Frankie Gavin
amphitheatre in the landscape of the festival arena and is just one of the added attractions of Vantastival. The line up at Vantastival 2012 includes God is an Astronaut, Cathy Davey, The Original Rudeboys, Ham Sandwich, Frankie Gavin & DeDannan, Le Galaxie and RSAG, as well as a huge number of up-and-coming unsigned acts. Tickets are on sale now from Lastminute.com, Tick-
etgroup.ie and Xtra-vision stores nationwide and cost €89 for three nights camping with no charge for bringing a campervan. Tent campers are welcome and day tickets are also available at €40. Children under 14 go free and 14-17 year olds accompanied by an adult cost €30 for the whole weekend. Vantastival is a BYOB event, which adds to its value for money.
St Patricks celebration
Aidan Mc Cann, Kevin Toner, Darren O’Hanlon, Barry Corcoran and Stephen Toner
Eoin and Sarah Mc Eneaney, Lauren Caldwell, Fionnuala Callan and Martin Mc Eneaney
Actor makes RTE semi-final Dundalk actor JP McKenna is to feature in another webisode of the Begrudger’s which has made it into the semi final of RTE’s Storyland competition. The Begudgers are Nobby and Snout, they spend their days perched on bar stools in their local hovel of a bar hurling abuse at anyone in earshot. Epsiode 3 sees how the lads fit in with the bar’s new arty clientele where Dundalk man JP Mc Kenna again makes a hilarious appearance. To view and vote visit www.rte.ie/ storyland.