THE GALWAY Sessions Festival, celebrating Irish folk and traditional music and the music Irish emigrants brought with them across the world, returns from Sunday June 16 to Sunday 23.
To celebrate this year of The Gathering, the artists featured are predominantly Irish traditional musicians born outside Ireland, or those who have spent the majority of their lives abroad.
These include such household names as John Carty, Brian Rooney, Alec Finn, The McCartys, The Carberrys, Kieran Fahy, Kevin Crawford, Killian Vallely, Colm Gannon, Jessie Smith, John Blake, Emmet Gill, Dave Munnelly, Winnie Horan, and Mick McAuley.
The festival highlight will be the special Gathering concert at the Town Hall Theatre on Saturday June 22. Headlined by London-Irish musician John Carty, the concert will feature the McCarty, Carberry, Conneely, and Gannon families as well as special guests. Tickets for this concert are available from the Town Hall Theatre through 091 - 569777 or www.tht.ie The festival will also explore the music of exile and emigration. A highlight of this will be Sean Tyrrell’s show A Message Of Peace in The Crane Bar on June 19, where Sean will portray the life and work of transported Fenian John Boyle O’Reilly.
There will also be shows from Noreen Gavin O’Sullivan and Sean Gavin, Tradiohead, Norianna Kennedy, Pauline Scanlon, Meabh O’Hare, Irish-American songwriters Emmet O’Leary and Jefferson Hamer, as well as the incomparable Beoga.
As in previous years, the festival’s Scottish connection will be retained with an array of performers travelling from Galway’s cultural partner Stirling to take part, including street performer Big Rory & his Bad Doggie Ochie. Street entertainment will take place daily at 2pm, 5pm, and 7pm in the Latin Quarter.
There will be afternoon gigs on Mondays to Fridays at 3pm at The King’s Head. The festival also features an evening concert series at The Crane Bar, opening on Sunday 16 with Solas members Winnie Horan and Mick McAuley.
An Taibhdhearc will host a concert with Mick Conneely, Dave Munnelly, and Ryan Molloy on Tuesday 18.
There will also be trad sessions in Tigh Choili’s, Taaffe’s Bar ,The Quays, Tigh Neachtains, and Monroe’s Tavern.
The festival is sponsored by Galway City Council, The Gathering, The Crane Bar, and The King’s Head. For more information contact 087 - 2245637 or see www.galwaysessions.com
