Ted Fest
Encyclopedia
The Friends of Ted Festival, or Ted Fest, is an annual fan convention
held on the island of Inishmore, off the coast of County Galway
, Ireland
for fans of the Channel 4
sitcom Father Ted
. The series was set on the fictional Craggy Island off Ireland's west coast, so Ted Fest is also held on such an island. In 2010 the festival expanded to an Australian edition, which was held in Parkes
, New South Wales
.
This is a parody of the episode "Song for Europe
".
The 2007 Inis Mór Song for Europe is "Jack in the Box" by OK Chorale.
Songwriters Peadar and Geordan joined the festival on Inis Mor on Sunday 25 February to record the song live accompanied by the Craggy Island Singers. According to the official website, the OK Chorale was formed following "a bizarre boating accident", in which "a skiff containing two Christy Moore
impersonators, fleeing from an ugly scene at the Tory Island
singing festival, became hopelessly lost and collided with a fishing boat entering Teelin Harbour. The ensuing brawl developed into a lengthy drinking session in the nearby Rusty Mackerel, where the men discovered their mutual enthusiasm for (a) The Eurovision Song Contest
and (b) the music and legs of Clodagh Rodgers."
This is a parody of the Golden Cleric award featured in "A Christmassy Ted
".
On Wednesday 21 February at the Kings Head in County Galway eight of Ireland’s up and coming comedians competed for a place in the final at Ted Fest 2007 on Inis Mór.
The final took place in the Aran Islands Hotel on the Friday of the festival, attended by special guest Michael Redmond (the actor who played Father Stone from the series).
The prize for the Kings Head Toilet Duck Award is €1000, an appearance at the Cork Comedy Festival and a golden duck.
The 2007 winner was Sharon Mannion and the 2008 winner was Bob Hennigan. The winner in 2010 was Gerry McBride.
This is a parody of the "All-Priests Five-a-Side Over-75's Indoor Football Challenge Match" featured in the episode "Escape from Victory
".
A football match between the two islands to commemorate the game that featured in the series. Former Republic of Ireland footballers
Tony Cascarino
and John Aldridge
were opposing captains, whilst celebrity referee Pierluigi Collina
sailed to Inis Mór to referee the one-off tie. The match took place on the beach on the final day of the festival. The winning island side, (Inis Mór by 2-0) was declared "The Real Craggy Island" for the coming year. Inis Oirr received the title of "Rugged Island
". The captains on the day were Padraig Ó Flaithearta (Inis Mor) and Mairtin Seoighe (Inis Oirr), and the goalscorers were Adam Clark and Cillian Joyce.
, County Clare
http://www.friendsofted.org/whatson.php?id=7 (site of Parochial House external shots in the series). The Craggy Island World Cup was expanded to admit all islands of Ireland. http://www.friendsofted.org/craggyworldcup.php
. A parallel Ted Fest Oz took place in Parkes
, New South Wales
, Australia
during the Easter Triduum
, however it was not a success, the local police removing its liquor license due to noise levels.
), the Ronnie Drew
Hour,
a Virtual Confession Box
, a Craggy Island Kill Bill
Festival, the Father Ted Prizeless Quiz, the Craggy Cup, "Matchmaking
with Nellie," a Pirate Cruise and a walking tour to the Amish
community.
Fan convention
A fan convention, or con , is an event in which fans of a particular film, television series, comic book, actor, or an entire genre of entertainment such as science fiction or anime and manga, gather to participate and hold programs and other events, and to meet experts, famous personalities, and...
held on the island of Inishmore, off the coast of County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
for fans of the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
sitcom Father Ted
Father Ted
Father Ted is a comedy series set in Ireland that was produced by Hat Trick Productions for British broadcaster Channel 4. Written jointly by Irish writers Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan and starring a predominantly Irish cast, it originally aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until 1 May...
. The series was set on the fictional Craggy Island off Ireland's west coast, so Ted Fest is also held on such an island. In 2010 the festival expanded to an Australian edition, which was held in Parkes
Parkes, New South Wales
- Transport :Parkes has a local bus service provided by Western Road Liners, which acquired Harris Bus Lines in March 2006. The Indian Pacific also stops twice a week, as well as the Broken Hill Outback Xplorer service, run by CountryLink, which heads to Broken Hill on Mondays and Sydney on...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
.
Events
A number of events took place at the festival, each themed in association with the comedy series.- Best Episode - The best Father Ted episode was determined by those who attend this year's festival. The winner was "New Jack CityNew Jack City (Father Ted)"New Jack City" was the 9th episode of the second series of the Channel 4 television sitcom Father Ted.At the inaugural Ted Fest in February 2007, it was voted the best Father Ted episode.-Synopsis:...
". - Father Jack Cocktail Evening
- Father Dougal Breakfast Movie Charades
- Lovely Girls Contest and Charity Auction (inspired by "Rock-a-Hula TedRock-a-Hula Ted"Rock-a-Hula Ted", a.k.a. "Lovely Girls", is the 7th episode of the second series of Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted, and the 13th episode overall.-Synopsis:...
") - Crazy Golf (inspired by "Entertaining Father StoneEntertaining Father Stone"Entertaining Father Stone" is the 2nd episode of Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted.Arthur Mathews introduces this episode by stating that the idea for Father Stone came from a 'friend' of a friend who stayed with the friend for his holidays and used to cheat at golf. This person had the ability to...
") - Hide A Nun and Seek
- Ludo Aerobics
- Buckaroo Speed Dating
- Ferrero Rocher Quiz Night
A Song for Europe
This is a parody of the episode "Song for Europe
Song for Europe (Father Ted)
"A Song For Europe" was the 5th episode of the second season of the Channel 4 television sitcom Father Ted.- Synopsis :Dougal has "Eurosong fever", months ahead of the competition. After initially rejecting Dougal's suggestion that they write a song to represent Ireland in the competition, Ted...
".
The 2007 Inis Mór Song for Europe is "Jack in the Box" by OK Chorale.
Songwriters Peadar and Geordan joined the festival on Inis Mor on Sunday 25 February to record the song live accompanied by the Craggy Island Singers. According to the official website, the OK Chorale was formed following "a bizarre boating accident", in which "a skiff containing two Christy Moore
Christy Moore
Christopher Andrew "Christy" Moore is a popular Irish folk singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is well known as one of the founding members of Planxty and Moving Hearts...
impersonators, fleeing from an ugly scene at the Tory Island
Tory Island
Toraigh is an inhabited island 14.5 km off the northwest coast of County Donegal, Ireland. It is also known in Irish as Oileán Thoraigh, Oileán Thoraí or Oileán Thúr Rí.-Language:The main spoken language on the island is Irish, but English is also understood...
singing festival, became hopelessly lost and collided with a fishing boat entering Teelin Harbour. The ensuing brawl developed into a lengthy drinking session in the nearby Rusty Mackerel, where the men discovered their mutual enthusiasm for (a) The Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
and (b) the music and legs of Clodagh Rodgers."
Toilet Duck Comedy Awards
This is a parody of the Golden Cleric award featured in "A Christmassy Ted
A Christmassy Ted
"A Christmassy Ted" is an episode of the Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted. It is the 17th episode overall and was broadcast between the second and third series. This episode is 55 minutes long, as opposed to the usual 21-22 mins of all other Father Ted episodes...
".
On Wednesday 21 February at the Kings Head in County Galway eight of Ireland’s up and coming comedians competed for a place in the final at Ted Fest 2007 on Inis Mór.
The final took place in the Aran Islands Hotel on the Friday of the festival, attended by special guest Michael Redmond (the actor who played Father Stone from the series).
The prize for the Kings Head Toilet Duck Award is €1000, an appearance at the Cork Comedy Festival and a golden duck.
The 2007 winner was Sharon Mannion and the 2008 winner was Bob Hennigan. The winner in 2010 was Gerry McBride.
Football match
This is a parody of the "All-Priests Five-a-Side Over-75's Indoor Football Challenge Match" featured in the episode "Escape from Victory
Escape from Victory
"Escape from Victory" is the 5th episode of the third series of Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted and the 22nd episode overall.-Synopsis:Dougal returns home to find Ted searching the parochial house frantically, because he believed they've been bugged by Dick Byrne, ahead of the annual "All-Priests...
".
A football match between the two islands to commemorate the game that featured in the series. Former Republic of Ireland footballers
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
Tony Cascarino
Tony Cascarino
Anthony Guy 'Tony' Cascarino is an former association football player who played as a forward for various British and French clubs and internationally for the Republic of Ireland national team, with whom he competed in the 1988 European Football Championship and two World Cups in 1990 and...
and John Aldridge
John Aldridge
John William Aldridge is a former Republic of Ireland international footballer and football manager...
were opposing captains, whilst celebrity referee Pierluigi Collina
Pierluigi Collina
Pierluigi Collina is a former Italian football referee. He is still involved in football as non-paid consultant to the Italian Football Referees Association , and is a member of the UEFA Referees Committee...
sailed to Inis Mór to referee the one-off tie. The match took place on the beach on the final day of the festival. The winning island side, (Inis Mór by 2-0) was declared "The Real Craggy Island" for the coming year. Inis Oirr received the title of "Rugged Island
Rugged Island (Father Ted)
Rugged Island is a fictional island on the Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted.It is effectively a parallel universe to the show's main setting, Craggy Island, with Father Dick Byrne their version of Ted, Father Cyril McDuff their version of Dougal, and Father Jim Johnson their version of Jack...
". The captains on the day were Padraig Ó Flaithearta (Inis Mor) and Mairtin Seoighe (Inis Oirr), and the goalscorers were Adam Clark and Cillian Joyce.
2008
Ted Fest 2008 featured separate events on the island of Inishmore http://www.friendsofted.org/whatson.php?id=8 and on the mainland at KilfenoraKilfenora
Kilfenora is a small village in County Clare in Ireland, just south of The Burren. The village is noted for being the home to the Kilfenora Ceili Band and the location for much of the filming of the sitcom Father Ted.-Places of interest:...
, County Clare
County Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
http://www.friendsofted.org/whatson.php?id=7 (site of Parochial House external shots in the series). The Craggy Island World Cup was expanded to admit all islands of Ireland. http://www.friendsofted.org/craggyworldcup.php
2009
The third Ted Fest was spread over two weekends. The Pink Flamingos took the third Craggy Cup (non-island teams being permitted for the first time), while, in a bizarre coincidence, the Toilet Duck Comedy Award was won by a genuine ex-priest named FJ Murray.2010
Tickets for the fourth Ted Fest went on sale in September 2009. The first weekend took place on Inishmore and the second on InisheerInisheer
Inisheer is the smallest and most eastern of the three Aran Islands in Galway Bay, Ireland.-Naming:The official name, , was brought into usage by the Ordnance Survey Ireland. It may be a compromise between the traditional local name and the previous official name . There is no Irish word...
. A parallel Ted Fest Oz took place in Parkes
Parkes, New South Wales
- Transport :Parkes has a local bus service provided by Western Road Liners, which acquired Harris Bus Lines in March 2006. The Indian Pacific also stops twice a week, as well as the Broken Hill Outback Xplorer service, run by CountryLink, which heads to Broken Hill on Mondays and Sydney on...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
during the Easter Triduum
Easter Triduum
Easter Triduum, Holy Triduum, or Paschal Triduum is the period of three days that begins with the Mass of the Lord's Supper on the evening of Maundy Thursday and ends with evening prayer on Easter Sunday...
, however it was not a success, the local police removing its liquor license due to noise levels.
2011
The fifth Ted Fest took place on Inishmore from 24 to 27 February 2011. Scheduled events include a Lovely Girls pageant, "Ted's Got Talent" (a parody of Britain's Got TalentBritain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent is a British television talent show competition which started in June 2007 and originated from the Got Talent series. The show is produced by FremantleMedia's TalkbackThames and Simon Cowell's production company SYCOtv. The show is broadcast on ITV in Britain and TV3 in Ireland...
), the Ronnie Drew
Ronnie Drew
Joseph Ronald "Ronnie" Drew was an Irish singer and folk musician who achieved international fame during a fifty-year career recording with The Dubliners. He was born in Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin...
Hour,
a Virtual Confession Box
Sacrament of Penance (Catholic Church)
In the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is the method by which individual men and women may be freed from sins committed after receiving the sacrament of Baptism...
, a Craggy Island Kill Bill
Kill Bill
Kill Bill Volume 1 is a 2003 action thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is the first of two volumes that were theatrically released several months apart, the second volume being Kill Bill Volume 2....
Festival, the Father Ted Prizeless Quiz, the Craggy Cup, "Matchmaking
Matchmaking
Matchmaking is any process of matching two people for the purpose of marriage or a sporting contest.-Practice:In some cultures, the role of the matchmaker was and is quite professionalized...
with Nellie," a Pirate Cruise and a walking tour to the Amish
Amish
The Amish , sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches...
community.
Festival summary
| Year | Date(s) | Craggy Cup Final | Toilet Duck Comedy Award | Lovely Girl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 23 – 25 February | Inishmore 2–0 Inisheer Inisheer Inisheer is the smallest and most eastern of the three Aran Islands in Galway Bay, Ireland.-Naming:The official name, , was brought into usage by the Ordnance Survey Ireland. It may be a compromise between the traditional local name and the previous official name . There is no Irish word... |
Sharon Mannion | Agnes |
| 2008 | 25 February – 2 March | Inishbofin Inishbofin, Galway Inishbofin is an island lying about off the coast of Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. It is about 5.5 km long and wide, and has around 200 inhabitants. The island is popular with artists. Inishbofin can be reached by ferry from the pier in Cleggan... (Co. Galway) 4–3 Inishmore |
Bob Hennigan | Tara Kilbane |
| 2009 | 26 February – 1 March 5 – 8 February |
The Pink Flamingos ?–? Aran Islands Hotel Barmaids (The Pink Flamingos won on tiebreak) |
FJ Murray | Sarah Gallagher |
| 2010 | 25 – 28 February 4 – 7 March Ted Fest Oz: 2 – 5 April |
Winners: Inishmore | Paula | |
| 2011 | 24 – 27 February | |||