All Together Now - Getting Horizontal at the Inflatable Church

Early evening at Curraghmore House and the joints are already getting loose. At the busy junction between the Road To Nowhere, Something Kind of Wonderful and Main Stages lies what has become an Irish festival staple - the Inflatable Church.

For a small, one-time fee of €40 you can make the lifetime commitment of marriage here. Fear not - they supply the dress. What’s capturing attention though is the limbo competition in full swing, where an exuberant MC in a gold top hat is both officiating and cheerleading, to a soundtrack of the very best '80s cheese - think Survivor, Bonnie Tyler, Tiffany. 

From a safe vantage on one of the arms of the Arcadia Afterburner stage - its flames lying dormant until the midnight hour - it’s easy to spot who’s already in festival spirits and who hasn’t quite yet left behind the stress of getting here and pitching the tent. Kids fare best, unsurprisingly, but many surprise even themselves with new-found flexibility. A great way to limber up for the weekend.

It’s unfortunate that the Road To Nowhere stage has become too aptly named for Syrian-Armenian-American composer KÁRYYN, who’s forced to play to backing tracks after Aer Lingus lost most of her gear on the way here.

“Today's been chaotic, and it's been a struggle to stay calm in the midst of it - but that's what life's about, staying calm in the middle of this shit,” she says - an outlook that befits someone who’s had to witness the destruction of their ancestral homeland.

That outlook is clear in her compositions too - a swirling maelstrom of dark strings, tamed and controlled by her haunting, operatic vocals. ‘Aleppo’, a tribute to the war-torn city where she spent her childhood summers, is the centrepiece of a set that triumphs adversity.

Up later we’ve got Mogwai, Chaka Khan and another religious festival institution - The Black Madonna. The night is young yet!