Drogheda will be Ireland’s songwriting capital next month when a festival is held to celebrate the nation’s creativity in lyrics and music.
Songwriters of all genres and abilities can take part in two days of inspiration, collaboration and the opportunity to produce something new in the company of top-class mentors.
The Festival is on Saturday and Sunday, September 26th and 27th at The Barbican, Drogheda.
“There is a great depth of musical ability out there in Ireland, and our aim is to be a beacon for it,” said the Festival’s co-founder, Darren Flynn.
The venue has multiple rooms, with mentors taking part in workshops or “surgeries” where new songs can be developed. Participants will have the opportunity to perform their new creations at a gala concert on Sunday the 27th. The Festival has received funding from Louth County Council Arts Office, and its main sponsor is the Irish Music Rights Organisation.
The winning song will have a day in a professional recording studio with music producer Daniel de Burca at Jejune Studios.
“We want to provide a space to the songwriting community in Ireland, finding new ways to get the most out of all that raw talent,” explained Flynn, who came up with the Festival plan together with Drogheda’s Gerry Hodgers.
The idea was born when the pair of singer-songwriters collaborated in gigs at the town’s McHugh’s bar and at Boyle’s bar, Slane. The 2026 event is the third and biggest in its history.
Workshops will include The Art of Writing to Pitch (mentor Colm Gavin); Write to Rise (Aine Tyrrell); Transforming Real Life Stories into Powerful Songs (Maria McCormack); and Finding Fun In Creativity (David Hope).
The Festival winner will also be awarded the Clare Corrigan Perpetual Trophy. Clare, a notable supporter of the Festival, died suddenly in April, aged 72. Meath singer Gillian Tuite will close the Festival by singing “Ancestors Guide Us”, one of the last songs Clare wrote before her death.