Castlepalooza returned to the grounds of Charleville Castle in Tullamore this year with its most diverse line-up yet. The weather on Friday was less than favourable, as the thousands of revellers poured onto the site, but it scarcely dampened the mood.
The showers came and went but the friendly, relaxed atmosphere around the grounds remained high. Friday night was built for lovers of all things techno. A storming headline set from Caribou and a strong performance from American synth pop group Policia, ensured the festival began on a high note.
Saturday brought some added variety to the mix with the Vodafone Laughter Lab getting up and running. Tommy Tiernan headlined with his instantly recognisable comedy style. There’s a reason this man is a legend of stand-up. He was genuinely hilarious on the night.

Check out the Castlepalooza gallery HERE.

Saturday night also saw the superb Jurassic 5 commandeer the main stage. In front of the centuries-old castle, the group showed off what may well have been the freshest hip hop beats Ireland has ever seen. With their DJs Cut Chemist and Nu-Mark breaking the set in half with DJ solos and battles, the crowd never stopped jumping.
They are the quintessential example of how hip hop – coupled to pitch perfect vocal harmonies and the right balance of serious stage presence and crowd interaction – can really work live. The only slight blip during the day was the incoherent cacophony of Preoccupation’s set. They spent time building up to something that just didn’t seem to happen for them.
The sun finally decided to show up on Sunday morning and heat seeped into the weary bones of the campers. The final day seemed the busiest one as day trippers and families filled the tree-covered grounds of the castle. Villagers brought the curtain down on the final night in spectacular fashion. With one of the largest crowds of the weekend, Conor O'Brien’s genuine and heartfelt song writing captivated the crowd for a solid 90 minutes. Kicking off their set with ‘Courage’ and ending with a three song encore, every moment they were onstage was seared with honesty.
Once their set had ended the crowd slowly dispersed across the site. Some headed for home while other kept the party going in the campsites. Castlepalooza has cemented its place in the summer festival circuit in the last few years – and judging by the weekend’s music, it has well and truly earned it.