The Galway Folk Festival will be in full swing this weekend, with a host of afternoon, evening and late night events celebrating the best of local and international talent.
Tomorrow, Friday June 7, at 7pm, the freewheeling yet contemporary Glasgow-based five-piece Ímar join Irish folk powerhouses Ger O'Donnell and Trevor Sexton on Monroe’s main stage for acoustic folk at its finest. Meanwhile, accomplished finger-style guitar player and member of ‘Beoga’ Niall McCabe, and Berlin-based trio the Yonder Boys, who are a fusion of traditional old-time Americana, rock, Latin and Celtic rhythms, with a touch of pop and psychedelia, will perform at the Monroe’s Backstage venue.
Later on Friday at 11pm, the Late Night Festival Club comes alive to the exhilarating, genre busting sound of Mec Lir. Well-known for their tight, lightning-fast playing and huge sound, the Isle of Man/Glasgow four-piece bring a joyous energy to the stage.
For an afternoon treat on Saturday, June 8, at 1pm, enjoy the distinctive sean-nós-style of Seán Keane on the Monroe’s main stage. He has built a legacy of his own for decades, for his traditional Irish folk, pop, blues, and country. He will be joined by singer-songwriter Matt McGinn,whose duet with Aoife Scott ‘Time Well Spent’, became one of the biggest folk songs of 2020.
Later on Saturday, at 7pm, join the ground-breaking, chart-topping Scottish band Talisk, progressive world folk band The Trouble Notes and Donegal’s bilingual singer-songwriter Eve Belle at Monroe’s Live. Transatlantic duo DUG bring their Irish and American heritage to the Backstage venue along with Sally in the Woods, whose songs are a radical retelling of stories passed down through the English, Scottish, Irish and American folk traditions.
On Saturday night at 11pm, The Circus Ponies will make waves with their festival-style ‘Nineties extravaganza through the power of brass, violins and vocals across their 15-piece ensemble.
At lunchtime on Sunday, June 9, at 1pm, luminaries of the Irish music scene Cillian Vallely and David Doocey combine the traditional pipes and fiddle on the Monroe’s Live mainstage. They will be supported by Cork multi-instrumentalist David Murphy, who has taken the pedal steel guitar into a range of new genres, spanning pop, Americana and folk to ambient, experimental music and film soundtracks.
At 5pm on Sunday, June 9, join Eleanor Shanley and Mike Hanrahan at the Backstage venue for this early evening show. With a career spanning over twenty years, Eleanor Shanley is one of the most loved singers in folk music history, while Ennis-born Mike Hanrahan boasts an enigmatic music career that began in 1977 with Tumbleweed.
Closing the Galway Folk Festival 2024 on Sunday, June 9, at 7pm is Ireland’s leading traditional music export, Sharon Shannon, supported by Niamh Bury and Lady Nade at Monroe’s.
Now in its third year, The Galway Folk Festival has an even bigger programme of free, family-friendly events from Saturday, June 8, to Sunday, June 9, from 11am-7pm, taking place on the Market and Tavern stages.
The Tiny Traders Village is back with a host of sustainable stalls and there is a free ‘Culture Vultures’ event, with interviews and intimate performances, taking place in McBrides from 4pm-6pm with Tony Clayton-Lea.
Tickets and listings on www.galwayfolkfestival.com
