Careful Now! – TedFest returns for 2024

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Patrick McDonnell who played Eoin McLove in Ireland's favourite TV show. Photo: Gareth Chaney

TedFest will be back on the Aran Islands once again next year, with tickets now on sale for the annual festival celebrating the iconic show.

From March 7 – 10 next year, Inis Mór will be transformed into the legendary ‘Craggy Island’ once more for a weekend of high-jinx.

Copious cups of tea and sandwiches, a lot of red tank-tops, nuns on the run, priests on the pull, map-cap costumes and of course a bishop getting a kick up the arse – Fr Ted, Ireland’s best loved TV Show is celebrated.

Visitors will enjoy all the ecumenical craic that Craggy Island has to offer and while the official itinerary for TedFest 2024 hasn’t been announced yet, it has been confirmed that highlights will include the annual Lovely Girls Competition, Ted’s Got Talent, the Father Ted Prizeless Quiz, the priests dance off, the nuns in neon old grey whistle rave, the screaching competition in a very dark cave, the Craggy Cup, Blind Date, Best Dressed and lots more. Tickets are now on sale at www.tedfest.org.

Kian Garvey. Graham Murray, and Nick Garvey pictured at TedFest at Inis Mór. Photo: Gareth Chaney

Original cast members are also firm favourites at the event and Joe Rooney who played Fr Damo generally pops out to the Island to referee the Craggy Cup while Patrick McDonnell who played Eoin McLove is a most attractive host for Blind Date.

Willie or no willie, Craggy Island’s most beloved singer always draws a crowd – probably about seventeen million!

Competition can also be rife for the coveted Lovely Girls title and organisers have lovely girls practice their lovely talents, lovely laughs, cone walking and general loveliness at all times.

Ted’s Got Talent is also a big highlight with some very memorable moments including Celine Dion emerging from a giant inflatable shark singing My heart will go on… go on, go on, go on, go on …

The Comedy Craic Den and music line-up is always a triumph at TedFest and the charity trad sessions will surely bring out the dancing priests and raise some money for a good cause that won’t just ‘rest in our account’.

Brian McManus from Fermanagh, winner of Best Dressed at Tedfest 2023 pictured as Tom’s Scania Truck. Photo: Gareth Chaney

The costumes at TedFest also deserve a mention and some highlights in recent years include revelers that came dressed as ‘Father Jacks Underpants Hamper’, Irelands Largest Lingerie Department, The Flight into Terror, Tom’s Scania Truck, the feckin crunchies in the car, the various stages of Henry Sellers and a fantastic mix of Mrs Doyles, Fr Jacks, Teds, Dougals, Pat Mustards and all the favourites.

All activity will take place at the Aran Islands hotel on Inis Mor which has the space to accommodate the Music Stages, the Craggy Craic Den and full extended line-up.

Organisers are encouraging the seventeen million repentant brethren who have never managed to tick TedFest off their bucket list to not miss out again as tickets are going fast and are limited to the amount of accommodation available on the island. TedFest is about as wild and wonderful as it gets!