🎻Fionn and Jonathan Angus

Father and son, Fionn and Jonathan Angus, established a social enterprise called Fionnathan Productions which works to create a more inclusive, welcoming and equal society.

Fionn, who has Down Syndrome, has been playing the fiddle for 20 years, and works to ensure the talents of those with disabilities are celebrated. 

As part of this year's festival, TradFest has teamed up with Ablefest, Ireland's largest inclusive music festival, to increase accessibility and make sure everyone has a space on the stage.

Michael Mulcahy

Michael Mulcahy (1952) is an Irish expressionist painter who lives and works in Paris, but returns frequently to Ireland. 

Michael Mulcahy was educated at the Crawford Municipal School of Art in Cork and the National College of Art and Design in Dublin. He has travelled extensively, particularly in north and west Africa where he has lived and worked in the local community.

The Douglas Hyde Gallery in Dublin held a major exhibition of his work in 1994. He has at least one child, a girl, and now resides in Wexford where he opened a working gallery.

Paddy Mayne

Lieutenant Colonel Robert Blair Mayne (1915 –1955), best known as Paddy Mayne or familiarly as Blair, was a British Army officer from Newtownards. He was an amateur boxing champion, qualified as a solicitor and was capped for Ireland and the British and Irish Lions at rugby union before becoming a founding member of the Special Air Service (SAS).

Serving with distinction during the Second World War, Mayne became one of the British Army's most highly decorated officers. He was controversially denied the Victoria Cross, a decoration which King George VI remarked "so strangely eluded him".

Mayne participated in many night raids deep behind enemy lines in the deserts of Egypt and Libya, where the SAS wrought havoc by destroying many enemy aircraft on the ground. Mayne pioneered the use of military jeeps to conduct surprise hit-and-run raids, particularly on Axis airfields. It was claimed that he had personally destroyed up to 100 aircraft.

After the war, Mayne returned to Newtownards first practising as a solicitor and then becoming Secretary to the Law Society of Northern Ireland. He suffered severe back pain which prevented him even watching rugby as a spectator. He seldom talked about his wartime exploits.

The Guardia di Finanza

The Guardia di Finanza is an Italian law enforcement agency under the authority of the minister of economy and finance. It is a militarized police force, forming a part of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, not the Ministry of Defence.

Obsolete 1980s model

Guardia di Finanza is essentially responsible for dealing with financial crime and smuggling; it has also evolved into Italy's primary agency for suppressing the illegal drug trade. It maintains over 600 boats and ships and more than 100 aircraft to serve in its mission of patrolling Italy's territorial waters. It also has the role of border police and customs duties at Italian airports.

The origins of the Guardia di Finanza date back to 5 October 1774, when the "Light Troops Legion" (Legione truppe leggere) was set up under the King of Sardinia, Victor Amadeus III. This was the first example in Italy of a special corps established and organized for financial surveillance duties along the borders, as well as for military defence.

Members of the Guardia di Finanza wear small diameter green berets.

Hesteyade de Bigorre

 

The Hesteyade de Bigorre is the festival of Pyrenean song and tale, since 1978.

Bastien Miqueu envisioned the return of the singing tradition of mountain countries Béarn and Bigorre.It is part of a geo-cultural area; typically Béarn and Bigorre, but stretching outside these borders as well.

The concept of reliving this singing is to develop this multi-voiced practice in compliance with the social, aesthetic and structural codes that have its origins in the traditional Pyrenean society.

Needless to say, berets are well represented during the festival, and on the arty posters too!

ALAT - Aviation légère de l’armée de Terre

The French Army Light Aviation (Aviation légère de l’armée de Terre, ALAT) is the Army aviation service of the French Army. ALAT was established on 22 November 1954 for observation, reconnaissance, assault and supply duties.

In 1912, the French military aviation was formally incorporated into the French Army, alongside the four longstanding divisions of infantry, cavalry, artillery, and engineers. As such it played important role in WWI in support of the army: observation, artillery guidance, bombing and strafing. In 1934, the aviation division turned into the French Air Force.

Helicopter Crew wearing LBF Berets

After WWII, it was felt that, just like the navy, the army needed its own air branch, distinct from the air force, which led to ALAT's creation in 1954.

Since it has participated in almost all French military engagements and humanitarian aid deployments: the French Indochina War, the Algerian War, the Persian Gulf War of 1990–91, the Lebanese conflict, the war in Chad, the independence of Djibouti, the War in Somalia, operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Kosovo War, the Indonesian occupation of East Timor, the Opération Licorne in Côte d'Ivoire, the humanitarian response to the December 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, the War in Afghanistan, 2011 military intervention in Libya.

The blue berets were distributed for the first time in July 1954 to the helicopter units of the Army in Indochina (GFHATI). In order to strengthen the cohesion of the GFHATI, Commander CRESPIN wanted to unify the headgear in service, by adopting a beret in "RAF blue" color. Faced with a lack of resources and the slowness of the administration, he had managed to recover, from the quartermaster's office, a stock of blue berets abandoned by the metropolitan paratroopers (NB: the latter nevertheless wore it until 1957).

It is worn tilted on the left side and does not have a rank insignia.

Before the adoption of the ALAT-specific beret badge in 1957, personnel from certain units that already had a corps badge wore it on their beret.

Pakol worn by ALAT members of ISAF, Afghanistan

Since 2018, the 4th Special Forces Helicopter Regiment (RHFS) has a new beret. The special forces regiment maintains a strong link with the ALAT, but is now subordinate to the pillar of the Land Special Forces Command.

It reflects the regiment's attachment to the ALAT by keeping the cobalt blue colour of the original beret and projects itself into the new FS pillar by displaying the embroidered CFST insignia, like the former SAS.

The embroidered badge is composed of the wings of the paratroopers on either side of the commandos' dagger, surmounted by the intelligence star.

Dramatic Presidential Decree

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, in a bold move to distinguish the U.S. military from its global adversaries, President Donald J. Trump has announced a dramatic change in the U.S. Army Special Forces' iconic headgear. 

Effective immediately, the Special Forces green beret will be replaced by the Basque beret, in the same shade of green, as a global symbol of strength, unity, and heritage.

“As we face increasingly complex threats from adversaries like China and Russia, it is imperative that our military remain distinct and unmatched in every way,” President Trump stated. “The green beret, though a proud symbol of our forces, has unfortunately been co-opted by other nations. It is time for a change. The Basque beret is unique, stylish, and can make America great again.”

Eventually, the Basque beret will become the new standard for all branches of the U.S. military, representing both an evolution in military fashion and a rejection of imitation. The President emphasized that this move would strengthen U.S. military identity on the global stage.