Saturday evening in the Brewery Garden was dedicated to traditional Irish music. The group Altan, which is celebrating 30 years since its foundation this year, performed there. It is a band which has worked its way to the top among the bands of this genre. They play popular music with a tinge of Irish tradition, which includes plenty of energy. In this way they keep Irish folklore alive. In the past few years they were the “ambassadors of Ireland” because they regularly accompanied all the presidents of their country during their trips abroad to promote Irish culture. One of their loyal fans, Mr. Václav Bernard, told us, “I have been following traditional Irish music for many years and therefore I know the band Altan very well. They have released about 10 CDs and I own all of them. Besides the fact that they are pleasure to listen to, they are also excellent for dancing. The frontwoman of Altan, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, who always introduces the different songs with a few words during their concert, is an excellent violinist and singer. The composition of the group, which we had the opportunity to hear in Český Krumlov today, is very stable, they are basically all good friends. It is a type of music which appeals to everybody who perceives rhythm and melodies at least a little, like Irish music in general. The fact that they are referred to as an Irish musical treasure is certainly not an overstatement. They significantly represent their country. The decision of your festival to include this band in its program certainly hit the bull’s eye!” The band Altan alternated different rhythms on stage – melodic ballads as well as more lively songs. When asked what was unique about Irish music, the frontwoman Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh answered, “It comes from old folk music. It is full of emotions you can identify with. And of course it offers strong melodies, because of which people listen to it. We came back to Český Krumlov after 11 years and we were very happy to do so. It is like a fairy tale here. I hope that today we brought plenty of joy and entertainment to the viewers.” The whole evening was introduced by the ambassador of Ireland in the Czech Republic, Mr. Charles Sheehan, and it included Irish whiskey tasting. Those who came did not regret it.