Fleadh Cheoil: Gig Guide - All you need to know
As excitement mounts for this year’s fleadh kicking off on Sunday, we have created an essential guide to all the concerts taking place throughout the week.
Concerts are taking place in the Cathedral of Christ the King, St. Pauls Church, the town band hall and the Mullingar Arts centre. Tickets can be purchased on fleadhcheoil.ie/events.
Sunday August 6
Double Concert: Four Men and a Dog along with Enda Scahill and Friends, Mullingar Park Hotel, Sunday August 6, 8pm, €32.50
Four Men and a Dog made a name for themselves with their eclectic and vivacious blend of traditional Irish music with a wide spectrum of other genres. They play a double concert in the Park Hotel with banjo player Enda Scahill and his friends Dave Munnelly, Mick Conneely and Shane McGowan.
The Fureys, Mullingar Arts Centre, Sunday August 6, 8pm, €30
Legends of Irish music and song The Fureys, renowned for their hit songs ‘I will love you’, ‘When you were sweet 16’ and ‘The Green fields of France’, to name but a few, are set to lift the roof of the Arts Centre on the opening Sunday.
Monday August 7
Drops of Green, Mullingar Arts Centre, Monday August 7, 8pm, €20
Drops of Green are a band of six Irish men hailing from Laois, Kilkenny, Clare and Waterford. Formed in early 2015, they are quickly building a fan base both home and abroad. Combining a vast range of instrumentation with blissful four part harmonies, they cover all of your favourite Irish melodies within the show’s set-list.
Tuesday August 8
Double Concert: The Kilkennys and Ríl Óg, Mullingar Arts Centre, Tuesday August 8, 8.30pm, €20
The Kilkennys are noted for their dynamic arrangements, energetic performances, and charismatic rapport with audiences across the globe. Picking up the mantle left by acts such as The Dubliners and The Clancy Brothers, the four-piece group are a joy to listen to. Joining the band are Ríl Óg, an Irish up-and-coming contemporary traditional band. Hailing from Co Longford, multi-instrumentalists Dylan Hanly, Tomás Mulligan and Setanta Flood fuse accordion, banjo and guitar to craft an explosively energetic and fresh new-age sound.
Wednesday August 9
Double Concert: Martin Hayes with Iarla Ó Lionáird, Cormac McCarthy and Matthew Berrill, Cathedral of Christ the King, Wednesday August 9, 8pm, €20
Martin Hayes’s soulful interpretations of traditional Irish music are recognised the world over for their exquisite musicality and irresistible rhythm. The Cathedral of Christ the King will be filled with a beautiful air of music as Martin shares the stage with talented musicians Iarla Ó Lionáird, Cormac McCarthy and Matthew Berrill for a double concert.
Double Concert: Coda with Elaine Reilly, Samantha Harvey, Oisín mac Diarmada and Daithí Gormley, St Paul's Church, Wednesday August 9, 7.30pm, €20
Coda are a group of seven singers and musicians hailing from the west of Ireland. Coda offers an exciting new perspective on traditional and contemporary folk songs, original compositions and popular songs. Joining the band for a double concert are multi-instrumentalists Elaine Reilly, Samantha Harvey, Oisín mac Diarmada and Daithí Gormley.
Double Concert: Moylurg Céili Band and Misneach, Mullingar Arts Centre, Wednesday August 9, 8.30pm, €20
The Moylurg céili band based in Roscommon play a special concert as they celebrate a decade since their historic All-Ireland win at the Fleadh Cheoil in Derry in 2013. The full original band is lined-up to play at the concert. The céilí band will be followed by Kildare group, Misneach.
Natalie MacMaster, Donnell Leahy and family, St Paul's Church, Wednesday August 9, 9pm, €20
Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy Mary Frances, world-renowned fiddle players are set to play a special concert on Wednesday August 9 in St Paul’s church. The duo will be joined on stage by their seven children, Mary Frances, Michael, Clare, Julia, Alec, Sadie, and Maria, for an unforgettable show.
Thursday August 10
Meitheal Orchestra, St Paul's Church, Thursday August 10, 8pm, €15
With the dust barely settled on Meitheal summer school, the orchestra are already gearing up for their reunion show. An exciting evening beckons in St Paul’s Church. Award-winning soloists, the winning group and special guests will perform. Capping it all, Meitheal Orchestra will perform Ernestine Healy’s newly commissioned suite which has been widely lauded since its first outing in Glór, Ennis, in July.
Double Concert: Seán Keane and Dervish, Cathedral of Christ the King, Thursday August 10, 7pm, €32.50
Seán Keane from Co Galway is described as the greatest musical find of the ‘90s. Traditional Irish, folk, and even country and blues, all lend themselves to his unique style and unforgettable voice. Joining Seán is Dervish, a group steeped in the musical traditions of counties Sligo and Leitrim in north-west Ireland. The fusion of these two acts will make for an unmissable concert.
Frankie Gavin and De Dannan, St Paul's Church, Thursday August 10, 9pm, €30
Frankie Gavin is synonymous with De Dannan, the globally celebrated band he founded with Alec Finn in the mid-1970s. Over the years, there have been numerous star-studded line-ups, and 2023 sees the birth of the latest incarnation of the band. De Dannan now comprises Frankie Gavin on fiddle and flute, Catherine McHugh on piano, Ian Kinsella on guitar, Diarmuid Ó Meachair on melodeon and Kaitlin Cullen-Verhauz on vocals and cello. Frankie and De Dannan are ready and waiting to give you the musical experience of a lifetime.
Friday August 11
Double Concert: Fuaimlaoi and Emmet Cahill, Cathedral of Christ the King, Friday August 11, 7pm, €32.50
Emmet Cahill is a native of Mullingar and he performed a sold-out concert at the cathedral at last year's Fleadh. Emmet is widely hailed as ‘Ireland’s Most Exciting Young Tenor’ and will be joined by Fuaimlaoi, a dynamic group of talented and committed singers and instrumentalists, who have a keen interest in both liturgical music and Irish culture.
Comhaltas National Folk Orchestra, St Paul's Church, Friday August 11, 8pm, €15
The Comhaltas National Folk Orchestra of Ireland was first formed by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann in the late 1980s and has always attracted the most gifted young Irish musicians and singers. Under the direction of Micheal Ó hAlmhain, the Orchestra are a group that must be seen.
Double Concert: Shaskeen and Dartry, Mullingar Arts Centre, Friday August 11, 8pm, €25
Between the jigs, the reels, the songs and the banter, you will not find a contemporary Irish traditional band to engage with and entertain an audience as brilliantly as Shaskeen. The seven-member band will be followed by the Dartry Céilí band from Sligo. They won the All-Ireland Senior Céilí Band competition at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Tullamore in 2009. These two groups have the makings of a brilliant night’s entertainment.
Saturday August 12
Double Concert: Seoid with Gerry O'Connor and guests, Mullingar Arts Centre, Saturday August 12, 8pm, €25
Seoid are Sligo's newest trad group featuring talented musicians Kenny Donagher, Kerrie Herrity, John Dwyer and Fiachra Guihen. Following Seoid's performance, Gerry O'Connor and guests will take to the stage. Gerry, who was born into a family steeped in traditional music, has played with many big names in the Irish music world including Sharon Shannon and Christy Moore.
Cór Chúíl Aodha with Séan O Sé, Cathedral of Christ the King, Saturday August 12, 8.30pm, €25
The Cúil Aodha Choir was founded in 1964 by Seán Ó Riada and his friend an t-Athair Donnacha Ó Concubhair. It is an all male choir from its inception. Fathers bring their sons along when they are about two to three years of age and they, in turn, grow up learning the culture of the choir. The choir does not sing in English nor do they perform other people’s work. Their repertoire exceeds two hundred pieces between lay and liturgical settings.
Kilfenora Céilí Band, St Paul's Church, Saturday August 12, 8.30pm, €32.50
The Kilfenora Céilí Band is widely known throughout the world of folk and traditional music. It was founded in 1909 in Kilfenora, Co Clare. Since then, the band has brought its distinctive driving rhythm worldwide.