“Imelda May got on board and was excited by this type of festival.”
THE thousands of Limerick people who travelled to the Kilkee Surf and Music Festival, Cois Farraige, now have an even bigger event to enjoy on the Clare coast. In the first press article on the Cold Pro event, the Limerick Post has learned that Miltown Malbay will this summer play host to world class musicians, such as Imelda May and Peter Hook and internationally renowned surfers from across Europe.
Brothers Martony and Fiachra Vaughan are behind the major event, set to be the biggest surf festival ever held in Ireland.
Speaking to the Limerick Post Martony Vaughan explained how the festival came about.
“I had the idea back in 1996 and had a proposal drawn up and when I returned home after being away I worked at Cois Farraige for two years and my brother Fiachra and I approached well-known surfers Fergal Smith, Tom Lowe and Mickey Smith who thought it was a great idea and got directly involved. We all got on to our contacts and the project started to progress.
“Imelda May got on board and was excited by this type of an independent festival. Her name helped us to secure other UK based acts, because she is really big over there”.
Other names included in the line-up so far are O Emperor, Miracle Bell, Scott Matthews, Ellen and the Escapades and more, with new acts being added continually.
“We have a lot riding on this as we have funded it out of our own pockets,” says Martony who adds:
“We don’t expect to make any money this year, but we do expect it sell out and we will make it even bigger next year. Hot Press have got on board because they saw the potential and Today Fm have expressed interest in it.
“It will be a mini Electric Picnic, and great value for money with tickets at just €70”.
The brothers are delighted that the surf side of the festival is creating global interest because of the calibre of surfers involved.
“We will have 16 surfers competing for a €20,000 prize, four each from Scotland, Cornwall, Wales and Ireland. Those Clare based surfers, Mickey and Fergal Smith and Tom Lowe, are doing stuff in the water that has never been seen before but then some of the best waves in the world are off the coast of Clare.
“This is big news, there isn’t a more high profile surf event in Europe and the sport is growing massively in Ireland, with more kids in surf clubs than in hurling clubs”.
Leading up to the event the team are planning to visit every town and college in Ireland to promote the festival.
“Tickets are selling, although there has been nothing about it in a paper until now. This is not a once-off, we are planning on coming back every year”.
Tickets are available through ticketmaster and more information can be found at coldpro.org.
Picture by surfer and photographer Mickey Smith
