Old Fort Quarter festival takes place in Laois this weekend 

FOR many Laois people, myself included, the annual Old Fort Quarter festival serves as the official launch of the summer festival season. The Quarter in question is the area of Portlaoise in which the original ‘Fort of Maryborough’ was situated. Celebrating 500 years of history and heritage, this unique festival guarantees a thrilling weekend of family entertainment, showstopping performances and historical immersion.

With this year’s festival fast approaching, and a tangible sense of anticipation stirring in Portlaoise town, I thought it fitting to take a further look inside the organising of such an event. To help me gain a better insight into it, the chairperson of the festival committee, Rob Quinn, was kind enough to join me in discussing all things Old Fort.

With a great passion for history and heritage, Rob is an active member of Laois Heritage Society. Not only that, he also performs in the acclaimed band Transmitter, who will perform on the Sunday night of the festival weekend. When he is not drumming with Transmitter, leading festival committees or meeting with the heritage society, Rob spends his time writing genealogy reports, further fuelling his enthusiasm for history and heritage.

Despite this impressive multitude of strings to his bow, Rob remained entirely accommodating and generous with his time as he answered my questions about the Old Fort.

This being his first year as chairperson of the festival committee, Rob explained that his role involves delegating tasks to others, running meetings and making sure every job is done correctly. When asked if he felt any nerves taking on this responsibility, he confessed: “Absolutely. Of course, you know the festival is going to happen either way, but it’s a case of making sure it happens to the highest standard.” Though admitting to a slight sense of pressure, Rob seems entirely confident and more than capable in the role.

Keen to draw attention to the integral focus of the festival, Rob spoke at great length about the importance of the Old Fort’s history. “There are festivals happening all over the country for the rest of the summer; what sets Old Fort apart is its focus as a heritage festival. I fear that, perhaps, in recent years that focus on heritage may have been lost somewhat. Of course, the live music sells tickets, but people may not realise that most of this festival is actually free. I would encourage anyone with even a slight interest in history to take one of the walking heritage tours. It’s a great way to take pride in where you’re from and its history.” These free walking tours are held on the Saturday and Sunday afternoon of the festival weekend. Renowned local historians Teddy Fennelly and Michael Parsons provide the tours and, according to a Rob, that guarantees to “make the experience very fun and engaging.” During the tours, participants will be guided through the history of the Old Fort, from its origins in the 1550s to its eventual dismantling by Crowmell in the 1660s. Not only that, but the festival boasts immersive medieval reenactments, artisan food and crafts and a variety of street theatre.

Touching on the impressive evolution of the festival over the years, I asked Rob what ambitions he had to improve the festival going forward. One major step that has been taken this year to make the festival greener is the committee’s collaboration with Native Events, who have provided innovative battery stacks to run the Main Street stage. These battery stacks allow for six hours of power and, unlike the typical generators, do not generate unsavoury noise and do not rely on the use of fossil fuels. This eco-friendly development, along with further efforts to reduce waste, is a clear indicator of the path Rob and all involved on the committee hope to pave for the Old Fort Quarter festival going forward.

Naturally, it was impossible to speak to Rob about the festival and not discuss his much-anticipated performance with Transmitter on the Sunday evening. When asked if he still felt any nerves facing into a live performance, Rob was honest and humble. “There’s always a small bit of nerves because you want to do your best, but it’s like any other gig. The bottom line is to make people dance and have fun.” Anyone who has ever seen Transmitter live can testify that dancing and fun are inevitable side-effects of their performances.

Not wanting to embarrass Rob by focusing entirely on his own performance, I queried what other acts he was looking forward to seeing. “Definitely Smash Hits because they’re always good. Aslan have some great songs. The Whistlin’ Donkeys are brilliant fun, too.” 

It’s clear Rob won’t be letting the responsibilities of chairperson prevent him from enjoying the festival he helped to organise.

The Old Fort Quarter festival has always held a special place in my heart. I find the sense of occasion and pride it brings to Portlaoise to be intoxicating. Though I was already eagerly anticipating this year’s festival, my conversation with Rob has only made that anticipation all the more urgent. Whether it’s the myriad of historical and cultural activities on offer during the days or the unrivalled musical performances at night, the festival truly has something to offer any demographic.

At the time of writing, early bird weekend tickets are still on sale for the reasonable price of €75. Individual tickets for the Friday and Saturday night are €40 each, while a ticket for Sunday night’s shows will cost €35. 

All tickets are available through Dunamaise Arts Centre. The festival runs from 27-29 June and I can promise you will not find a better way to spend that weekend than at the Old Fort Quarter.