We love Irish music festivals at Beat.
While European festivals often bag the bigger acts, Irish festivals like Carlow's BARE Music & Arts Festival boast something far more precious - the craic.
And this wouldn't be possible without a whole host of characters you only seem to catch at Irish festivals.
So, we thought we'd honour that - and what better way to kick off with...
1. The Panel Lad
Only ever seen wearing his local club's O'Neills jersey, the 6-foot plus Panel Lad is never spotted without Shoulders Girl.
2. The Shoulders Girl:
That band you've been waiting your whole life to see? Too bad, because Shoulders Girl has decided to be a mad yoke and get up on the 6-foot-plus Panel Lad's shoulders - where she'll stay until the early hours of Monday morning.
3. Fidelma from Down the Road:
Between making buns for the parish bake sale and driving her son, Panel Lad, to training, Fidelma from Down the Road was the last person you'd expect to see throwing shapes to some deep house in the woods at three in the morning. But you always got the feeling that a midlife crisis was just around the corner...
4. The 'Where's Her Mother?' Girl:
Midlife crises? How wrong we were. Really, Fidelma from Down the Road just came up to 'keep an eye' on her daughter, aka. 'Where's Her Mother?' Girl. You see, Fidelma had drawn the short straw to go among the school run mammies because Panel Lad just couldn't be trusted to look after his younger sis.
5. The Insta Blogger:
Thankfully, Where's Her Mother Girl has pitched-up with The Insta Blogger for a weekend filled with hashtags. Who knew that they pitched their one-man pop-up tent beside the #portaloos?
6. The Mud Boyos:
The Insta Blogger & 'Where's Her Mother?' Girl have spent so much time hashtagging they've yet to realise that their tent is buried knee deep in mud. That's where you'll find the Mud Boyos. They think its gas craic altogether. They're wild. They don't care about having anything to wear for the entire weekend, because they're having the true festival experience. That might have something to do with the night they spent under the Aldi gazebo with the Forever Hippies.
7. The Forever Hippies:
Our favourites. This crowd have seen it all. Hendrix at the Isle of Wight? Check. Bowie at the first Glasto? Yup. Nirvana at Reading? You mean, you weren't there too? Hitting 70 and still rocking the dreadlocks, you'll find them exclusively at the reggae stage.
8. The Hipster:
The Forever Hippies' nemesis, The Hipster can be observed only at bands that featured in Nialler9's pre-festival playlist. An impossible nut to crack, the Hipster shows little signs of emotion, just the odd nod of approval to the afrobeat electroclash 12-piece ensemble in front of him.
9. The Foodie
The Hipster is feeling a bit peckish so he hits up a friend, The Foodie, on his Blokia. It's Sunday and she's yet to see a single gig, coz you know, that kale salad and cold press coffee are just totes delish.
10. The 'Could you Sign this, Please?' People
Last but not least, it's the 'Could you Sign this, Please?' People. You see, they were awfully passionate about delivering justice for these peace-loving Tibetian monks at one point. So much so, that they spent the last three years trying to do exactly that. As a result, they failed college, they're broke, and the only way of getting into the festival was to get folk to sign a petition to free those pesky monks.
This content is brought to you by BARE Music & Arts Festival
Click here to get your hands on tickets. Ahh sure, go on!
