The last day of June brought with it one of our most anticipated gigs of the year with the 4th annual Old Fort Quarter Festival In Portlaoise.
The festival had previously been run on the Main Street of the town. However, due to health and safety concerns, and insurance issues, a decision was made to move the music to a dedicated venue within the walls of the historic Fort of Maryborough. The decision to ticket the event for the first time, was met with a criticism and negativity from some quarters.
There was a fear that the changes would take away from the atmosphere of the event.
We are happy to report that it was a gamble that paid off. The atmosphere was incredible with a huge crowd of revellers over the course of the weekend and from the bands perspective it was the best festival yet.
On the Sunday night we followed cracking sets from The Dooley Brothers and Strength In Numbers. When the band hit the stage, the Laois fans had arrived back from Croke Park and so, a celebration was on the cards. For 2 hours plus we delivered a full on set which was focussed on audience participation and the crowd responded in kind.
We were delighted to be part of a genuinely special weekend in our hometown and want to say thanks to Cecil, Jack, Edgey, the crew, Laois Civil Defence, security and ground staff who worked tirelessly over the weekend.
We would also like to pay tribute to PJ Kavanagh, his family and staff for guiding the festival through a particularly difficult year.
A lot of festivals are struggling to survive at the moment for all of the reasons you’re reading about in the media. We have something very special in Portlaoise, and thanks to the support the locals and volunteers give, we have a unique family weekend we should be proud of.
See you at OFQ festival 2020.

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