Not even the liveliest Spanish city can claim to have as many festivals these days as Kilkenny.
With a vibrant arts festival and renowned comedy event already in place, the city probably didn't need a country music weekend as well - but it's having one anyway.
Musician and author Kinky Friedman, a one-off character if ever there was one, and Nashville songwriter Roddy Crowell are the headline acts for this year's Kilkenny Country Roots Weekend, which takes place over the May bank holiday weekend.
Organised by promoter Tom Stapleton - who once brought Arlo Guthrie to play in the village of Shinrone, Co Offaly - and publicist Kirsty Fitzsimons, the four-day event will see a host of international artists take to the stage in the pubs of the city, including Calexico, The Gourds, Sonny George and the "warped" Travis T. Merle.
However, not even Merle, whose comedy act could just as easily form part of the Cat Laughs festival, can claim to be was warped as Friedman, the writer who is a character in his own novels and who recently organised his own tribute album featuring major stars like Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan and Tom Waits.
"I'd been thinking about a tribute album to myself for a long time," he wrote in a Texas magazine in February, "but I didn't want to have to die to get it." The name "Kinky" refers to his hair which, in an interview with this newspaper, he described as a "Lyle Lovett starter kit".
Ms Fitzsimons, who describes herself as a "country freak", says the idea for the festival came originally from the city's publicans. Apart from Friedman and Crowell, all of the acts - including Irish performers like Niall Toner and Mick Hanly - can be seen for a nominal cover charge.
This is the second year of the festival and it's hoped it will become an annual event. Ticket information can be obtained from Irish Heartbeat at 056-23244.