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World Music Celebrations: Ireland's 'Lovely' Ted Fest

www.tedfest.org
Screen shot from the wacky homepage of Ted Fest 7: www.tedfest.org

Each week on World Music (Saturday nights from 8-10 on KSTX 89.1 FM), I take a look at celebrations happening around the world. This week, a 'lovely' contest off the coast of Ireland.

TED FEST

It’s Ted Fest time on Inis Mor, an island off the Galway coast in Ireland. This wild and wacky festival celebrates a television series, "Father Ted," which ended some fifteen years ago. The show featured three Catholic priests and their housekeeper, all of whom occupied a parish house on Craggy Island.

Their lives bordered on the bizarre in a totally innocent way, but you could watch with your granny and not feel uncomfortable. Ted Fest attracts thousands of participants who come dressed as various characters from the program. There are multiple competitions which are totally non-competitive.;

The beauty contest for ‘the lovely girls’ bears no resemblance to ‘Miss Universe.’ These lovely girls have to have a lovely demeanor and a great sense of humor. All eight hundred of the population on Inis Mor participate in providing food and accommodation for these intrepid festival goers.

You can hear more about this and other celebrations happening around the world this and every Saturday on World Music with Deirdre Saravia, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on KSTX 89.1 FM.

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