Indiependence has quickly gained a reputation as one of the country’s best music festivals: its eclectic lineup and beautiful surroundings proving a real draw.
INDIE16 on July 29–31, though, will certainly be the biggest year to date, with a blockbuster bill ready to rock North Cork. As always the line-up features the cream of homegrown and international talent, with Cavan’s finest The Strypes, Dublin brothers Hudson Taylor, the chart-topping Walking On Cars and evergreen favourites Bell X1 and Ash taking pride of place next to visiting names including The Kooks, Editors and Idlewild.
And for those looking to explore some of the most picturesque parts of Ireland, the Mitchelstown Music Trail ensures there is no excuse not to check out Mitchelstown itself. On the Saturday, live music will be on offer across the town, with an under-18s busking competition taking place outside 16 venues. Music has always been important in this part of Cork and festivalgoers will get to see this for themselves over the weekend.
In addition, the Mitchelstown Community Forum have added lots of other activities for visitors to check out while they stroll through Mitchelstown, with heritage walks, kids activities and a host of other events on offer.
John Finn, Indiependence’s organiser, is thrilled to see the party vibe extend to the town.
“We’re just delighted to be bringing a small piece of Indie back to the streets,” he says. “Indiependence started on the streets of Mitchelstown, so to have some interaction back here again is great. The busking competition for Under 18s is something that we feel will work well, allowing younger people who can’t attend the festival to play for festivalgoers with the opportunity of a slot at next year’s festival, and a day of studio time to boot.”
Those sentiments are echoed by Liam O’Doherty from the Mitchelstown Community Forum.
“The crowd that come to the festival are fantastic and it’s very important to us that they interact with Mitchelstown while they are down here,” he reflects. “We want them to have a wonderful experience, both of Indiependence and of Mitchelstown.”
With the whole town geared up for the event, and venues across Mitchelstown ready to welcome revellers, there’s no doubt that this year’s event will be the most welcoming yet.

What’s the Buzz With Mitchelstown?
Thousands of festivalgoers make the 15-minute walk ‘down town’ every year while at Indiependence to Mitchelstown – a small town with a population of under 4,000 people, but one well stocked with bars, restaurants, shops and cafes, all of which help to give festivalgoers a small break from the excitement of the site. Whether it’s a full Irish Breakfast in one of the many restaurants, a trip to one of the many shops for supplies, or to catch a GAA match in one of the great country pubs, Mitchelstown has lots to offer anyone heading to INDIE16.

I Did Not Know That!
1. Mitchelstown was the first planned town in Ireland so the streets run parallel and are connected at right angles. Sort of like New York.
2. Mitchelstown Castle was one of the biggest in the country with as many windows as Buckingham Palace. Unfortunately it was burnt down in 1922 by The Republican Army to prevent it from being taken by The Irish Free State Army.
3. Mitchelstown is pretty famous for cheese!
4. The Mitchelstown Caves are nine miles away and in Tipperary (weird), but are definitely worth checking out if you get the chance.
5. Five time Booker Prize nominated author William Trevor was born on Upper Cork Street, across from The Hunters Rest.

Can We Still Get a Ticket?
Saturday Day Tickets and INDIE Garden Tickets have been sold out for some time. There are a very limited number of weekend camping tickets remaining, but it looks like they will be sold out well in advance, so don’t delay.

Liam O’Doherty, Mitchelstown Community Forum
How has it been to watch Indiependence grow so much in the past decade?
As Chairperson of the Mitchelstown Community Forum, it’s been fantastic to see the festival grow over the years. The buzz around the town, not only on the weekend itself, but in the weeks leading up to it is brilliant. There’s no doubt that it’s a huge boost to the town financially, but I think just as important is keeping the name of Mitchelstown out there. The people that come to Indie are a great crowd and how they interact with the town is very important to us. We want them to leave feeling that they have had a wonderful experience of both Indie and Mitchelstown.

Does music play a major part in Mitchelstown life all year round?
Mitchelstown is a great music town. Whether it’s one of the local musicians who regularly play in pubs around the town, great trad from the likes of The Druids in An Bodhran, or one of the contemporary acts like Frightened Rabbit, Delorentos or The Frank & Walters who have played in The Yard Bar in Walsh’s, there’s always something going on.

How important is it to get local businesses involved in the festival?
It’s critical. It probably took the first couple of years of Indie at Deer Farm for the businesses to really buy in to it, but when they did, they did in a big way. It’s up there with Christmas for many businesses in terms of money spent, so to add something this year like The Mitchelstown Music Trail (supported by Cork County Council) is another great string to the bow. We want the people who come to Indiependence to interact with Mitchelstown as a whole. We want them to go away thinking, “what a great town, maybe I’ll come back on a weekend different to Indie and go mountain biking or climb the Galtees”.

How would you recommend visitors spend their day?
Catch up on some sleep! Head in to Mitchelstown and check out the new Music Trail, there’s going to be live music all over town, grab a pint, something to eat and take it all in. Most of all, enjoy Mitchelstown, enjoy what it has to offer, and have a safe and enjoyable INDIE16 weekend.

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Indiependence is on from July 29-31 in Mitchelstown. Check indiependencefestival.com for more details.