The Pan Celtic Song Contest 2020 in Carlow, Ireland has been cancelled due to coronavirus.
The Pan Celtic Song Contest which was due to take place next month in Ireland has been cancelled due to coronavirus. The organisers of the event followed measures outlined by the Irish Government to curb the spread of the virus.
A number of acts had been selected to compete in the contest they were:
- Cornwall – Minko May – Kan an Tweyn (Song of the Dunes)
- Ireland – Gráinne Ní Fhátharta – Mar a Bhíonn
- Isle of Man – Skeeal Elley – Oie as Laa
- Wales – Gruffydd Wyn – Cyn i’r Llenni Gau
Singers from Scotland and Brittany were also due to be competing in the contest.
The statement reads:
The Éire Pan Celtic Committee, in association with the Carlow Festival Committee, at a meeting held in the Seven Oaks Hotel, Carlow, at midday today, it was decided not to proceed with the 2020 Pan Celtic International Festival at Easter, in line with latest measures announced by Government of Ireland to curb the spread of coronavirus COVID-19.
We appreciate the great work already undertaken by the Festival Committee in Carlow, local businesses, sponsors and supporters as well as the National Committees in all the Celtic nations. We acknowledge the disappointment of all the people who were planning to attend the festival, the hundreds of competitors, visitors and volunteers and are grateful to everyone who supported the festival.
We will continue to monitor the situation in Ireland and in all the Celtic nations in the coming months and will keep you informed.
I hope you are all safe and well and that we will all come through this unprecedented crisis stronger and more resilient.
What is the Pan Celtic Song Contest?
The Pan Celtic Song Contest has been held annually since 1971 and is part of the Pan Celtic Festival. The aim of the contest is to promote modern Celtic languages and cultures from the six Celtic nations of:
- Brittany
- Cornwall
- Ireland
- Isle of Man
- Scotland
- Wales
Wales is the most successful nation at the competition having won the event a total of 15 times. In contrast the Isle of Man has won the event only once in 2014.
Source: Pan Celtic Song Contest
