Groove Festival, Killruddery Estate

If sipping a drink in the grass while catching a few rays and listening to some popular Irish music is more your bag, then roll on up next year - and bring the kids too. The site was immaculately presented and perfectly laid out, with the various nooks, crannies, hallows and hedges of the beautiful Kilruddery Estate transformed into a chilled-out utopia for the weekend.
With the weather being so good and the site within easy reach of the South Dublin suburbs, many families took advantage of Groove’s under-12s go free policy. And there was plenty to keep the children occupied, such as a designated kids area with storytellers and balloon artists, a silent disco, and a rather frightening looking climbing wall.
Thousands had already flocked to the Wicklow coast on Saturday as Groove opened its gates for the first time with James Morrison, Soul II Soul Sound System and Gavin James in a line-up that boasted some interesting international bookings, while also showcasing plenty of local talent too.
It was more of the same on Sunday as Hot Press said a quick prayer to the sun gods before jumping on a Bray-bound Dart. Jerry Fish was just about to take to the Main Stage when we arrived - his charisma and charm proving enough to get the sunbathers on their feet for a bit of a bop. It was over to the Whelan’s Tent to catch local lads Big September next. The Bray boys’ energetic indie-rock drew a big crowd despite the glorious weather outside. Their set slightly overlapped with Damien Dempsey, who himself was in terrific form, treating fans to a selection of hits from his back catalogue, as well as cuts from his latest album, Almighty Love.
The highlight of the day was undoubtedly Raglans in the Whelan’s Tent. The young Dublin lads played at a frantic pace, loving every minute of it. Special mention must go to their cover of Len’s ‘Steal My Sunshine’, which was amazing.
All that was left was for Imelda May to bring the curtain down on the Main Stage. Imelda looked spectacular, and her mix of love songs, lullabies and all out rock ‘n’ roll was the perfect ending to a lovely day in Kilruddery Estate.