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When the Cut Loose Country Music Festival made its debut in Holycross, Co Tipperary, in the summer of 2012, it was the only festival of its kind in the country that year.
The ideal location and good promotion ensured it was a major success and it has served as the inspiration for other ventures that have sprouted up in recent years.
The summer series of outdoor festivals has become a major part of the social calendar and others who hosted major country events last year were Kilkenny (Gowran Park), the South East Festival in Wexford, Ballymore (Westmeath), Roscommon Racecourse, Mallow, Grange (Sligo) and Carlow.
The trail-blazers down Tipperary way are certainly not resting on their laurels and are already up and running with tickets for this year’s event coming online last week.
The 2019 Cut Loose Festival will be staged at the GAA grounds in Holycross on Sunday, 21 July, with thousands expected to descend on the village.
We have delivered seven outstanding country music festivals so far and 2019 will be no different
The show will feature Nathan Carter, Derek Ryan, Jimmy Buckley, Michael English, Louise Morrissey and Keith and Lorraine and The Conquerors.
Last summer saw in the region of 10,000 country music followers make their way to Holycross to sample the atmosphere of one of the biggest festivals on the summer circuit.
Cut Loose Festival organiser, Michael Lowry, says Holycross is again looking forward to extending a warm welcome to all patrons this July.
Our hardworking committee will ensure this family festival will once again be the country festival highlight of the summer
“We have delivered seven outstanding country music festivals so far and 2019 will be no different.
"We are confident our show will attract festival-goers the length and breadth of the country as well as people from abroad.
“Our hardworking committee will ensure this family festival will once again be the country festival highlight of the summer.”
Tickets for the Holycross Festival, priced at just €20 plus booking fee, are available online on tickets.ie and at all Super Valu and Centra stores nationwide.
Meanwhile, plans for the Kilkenny Country Music Festival are taking shape and tickets have also gone on sale for this event which takes place in Gowran Park on Sunday 14 July.
A press launch to showcase the event has been arranged for the 24 March.
Arranging suitable dates so that the festivals do not clash with big hurling games across this region of the country is always something of a juggling act and the organisers do their best to steer clear of big match days involving their county teams.
We might still be only in February but the plans are already falling nicely into place for another roll-out of festivals to delight country enthusiasts this summer.
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