Rain or shine, Castlebar keeps on rockin'

The rain did little to dampen spirits as the Castlebar Summer Festival came to a close on Sunday evening. 

Hundreds of people were gathered in Hoban's Car Park, which had been transformed into a fully fledged festival site for a final night of free, top class live music.

Run entirely by volunteers, the three-day festival once again delivered a professional quality programme of events across the August Bank Holiday weekend, all without charging a penny for admission.

Community spirit is the backbone of the event, with volunteers giving up countless hours and local businesses providing support and space for live music.

Music echoed throughout Castlebar over the weekend. The Barrel & Castle, Rocky's, Bridge Street and Mick Byrne's were just some of the venues that hosted a packed programme of trad sessions, live bands and DJ sets.

But it was Sunday’s finale that drew the biggest crowds.

Hoban’s Car Park, complete with two stages, food trucks and festival lighting, steadily filled with people as IE/DC, Ireland’s leading AC/DC tribute act, powered through a ‘high voltage’ set.

Despite the rain, families, teenagers and dedicated rockers gathered under umbrellas, wore their raincoats, and refused to let the weather dampen their spirits.

As the band tore into Back in Black, Highway to Hell and You Shook Me All Night Long, the crowd grew in size. Heads were bopping, and feet were tapping along to the classic rock and roll songs.

Frontman Eoghan McHale, sporting Brian Johnson’s trademark flat cap, left the stage during Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap to weave through the audience, high fiving people and drawing huge cheers.

Young children clutching inflatable guitars copied the band's moves, while seasoned rock fans belted out every word and even threw a couple of rock salutes into the air.

Lead guitarist Jonathan Lynch, dressed in Angus Young's trademark schoolboy uniform, paid homage to the legendary guitarist not only through his iconic outfit, but with lightning-fast guitar riffs and an energetic stage performance.

Making their second consecutive appearance at the festival, IE/DC brought rock and roll to Castlebar and also paid tribute to Mayo's recent All-Ireland success, telling the audience they were honoured to perform in the home of the All-Ireland champions, which naturally prompted a huge cheer.

By the time Springsteen - A Tribute took to the stage later that evening, the rain had eased, and Hoban’s was packed.

Fronted by Monty Thompson, the only 100% American 'Bruce' touring Europe, the six-piece act embodied The Boss’s trademark energy for a two-hour set that continued to draw people in from across Castlebar.

Familiar favourites, including Dancing in the Dark, I’m on Fire and Born to Run had the crowd singing and dancing together in unison, while some of Springsteen’s more reflective songs had people embracing and swaying with one another.

My Hometown struck an emotional chord, as the lyrics, ‘This is your Hometown’, seemed to carry an extra layer of meaning for Mayo following the week of celebrations.

When the tempo lifted again for Born in the USA, people ran to the front of the stage to dance and shout every word of one of the most iconic protest songs.

Springsteen were met with loud applause and chants for ‘one more song’, to which they happily obliged and stayed on stage to perform Jersey Girl.

During the encore, one Mayo supporter threw his green and red jersey onto the stage.

Thompson caught it and raised it above his head, drawing another huge cheer from the crowd and serving as a reminder that the celebrations surrounding Mayo's All-Ireland victory are far from over.

As the final notes rang out, one thing was clear - the Castlebar Summer Festival continues to be a shining example of what community driven events can achieve.

With impressive staging, lighting and sound, Sunday night’s show looked and sounded every bit like a professional festival. Yet, it remained completely free, thanks to the volunteers who made it happen.