This June Bank Holiday weekend, May 30th, will see the first "Ukulele Train" pull up at Castlebar railway station. The train is part of this year's Féile Ukulele fun and will carry over 50 ukulele players from Dublin and the various stations along the route. Féile Ukulele is being run this year in association with Dancing At The Crossroads and the organisers are hoping that Castlebar will be a fun place to be this June Bank Holiday.

Féile Chairman, Oisín Heraghty, said, "this year we decided to see if we could make two days of fun out of Féile, so hooked up with DATC and the Ukulele Train stemmed from that. We got in touch with Keith White from Ukeristic Congress in Dublin and Keith put us in touch with Sheilagh Fox from the Flukey Ukes. Sheilagh was so enthusiastic about Féile and put a lot of work in for us with the ukulele players in Dublin. She agreed to team up with her colleagues, Conor Rock and Ciaran Allen and host workshops on Sun May 31st and she made the Ukulele Train happen." The Ukulele Train will depart Dublin Hueston on Saturday May 30th at 12.45pm (€26 return), and leave Castlebar on Monday June 1st. When it arrives in Castlebar at 3.35pm, the organisers are asking people that play the ukulele to be there and greet their comrades. Moran's Ukulele Double Decker will then bring all to Market Square for a quick busking performance before the bus heads for Johnny McHales where there will be Guinness and oysters on the menu. A quick song or two there and then the bus leaves for Main St., where the Ukes will play a few more songs before departing for their accommodation. Later that night, various pubs in the town (venues to be confirmed) will be hosting the "uke sessions" where players will gather and jam for the night.
Sunday morning will see registration at Lough Lannagh Holiday Village at 10.30am for the workshops. Nominal charge of €5. That evening, the students will be invited to join Sheilagh, Conor & Ciaran on stage at Dancing At The Crossroads to play a song they learned earlier in the day. There will be a "uke session" in Johnnys at 5pm approx. and the Flukey Ukes will be on stage at DATC at 9pm. The Féile will come to an end in Rocky's with a full performance of the Flukey Ukes that night.
This is a unique event and the first of its kind in Ireland and it is great to have such a fun occasion in Castlebar so please come out and support the ukes on both Saturday and Sunday. More information on workshops and Féile, call the Chamber at 094 9024845.

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