A four day feast of live traditional music awaits

St Patrick’s Day festivities are to be greatly enhanced in Co Cavan this year with Five free traditional music sessions, and a special evening of musical entertainment in the Townhall. The sessions will feature all-star contributions from over 40 singers, dancers and musicians.

The four-day celebration starts off Thursday, March 16 at 1pm with a free lunchtime music session in Johnston Central Library.

From 9pm a traditional Irish music session will be held in Ramblin’ House Lounge Cootehill led by locals Hugh P Donohoe (banjo) and friends.

Friday, March 17, St Patrick’s Day begins with a nursing home visit by NYAH CCE Youth at 11am. Then from 2-4pm the action moves to Percy French Cocktail Bar (Farnham Arms) with the great Eugenio Collinassi from Italy playing the banjo/mandola with Karen McMahon (guitar) and Martin Donohoe in the corner entertaining from 6-8pm.

A special radio broadcast on Shannonside Northern Sound Radio has festival guests on air with Philip Clark, Hannah O’Reilly, Oliver Diviney, Tommy McDermott, Belturbet CCE, Barry Conaty, Bernie Charles, Shane Duffy and Curran Lads Niall and Sean, also stories from Eamon Maguire and Peter McGinnity.

From 7pm Thunder Bar Cavan has John Crane Dublin (singer) with Fermanagh’s Fintan McManus (guitar) and we finish St Patrick’s Day in Ramblin’ House Cootehill from 9pm with a session bringing Mickey McDonnell (banjo), Eugenio Collinassi (banjo/mandola), Trevor Bury (bodhran/bones), Karen McMahon (guitar) and Martin Donohoe (accordion).

The driving force behind NYAH is Martin Donohoe who says the St Patrick’s Day festivities will also feature a wonderful multicultural event as part of the programme to embrace the changing face of Cavan.

Coordinated with the assistance of the Cavan County Council Arts Office, the programme highlights the seated concert on Saturday, March 18 in Townhall, Cavan.

The Townhall Jig of Life concert commences at 8pm, with an amazing line up of guests. It will see Galway’s accordion champ Oliver Diviney receive a specially commissioned crystal award made by Tommy Kenny. The show line-up, being recorded for Radio Na Gaeltacht and then broadcast at a later date, also features guests Annette Owens (accordion) and Brenda McCann (fiddle) from Fermanagh, Kanako Machida (accordion) from Japan, Brian McGrath (banjo and piano), Darren Breslin (accordion), Stanley and Evija Nwaneri & Multicultural Dancing Group, Eamon McGivney (fiddle) from Longford, Neansaí Ní Choisdealbha (flute /whistle), Martin Murphy (drums), Philip Clarke (piano), Aoife Murray McGovern, Hannah O’Reilly (singers) and Fintan McManus (guitar), Padraig Conroy (accordion), Duffy Dancing Brothers, Curran Family amd O’Reilly Family from NYAH CCE, Martin Donohoe (accordion) and Karen McMahon (guitar).

Tickets cost €16, conc €14 available from (049)4380494 or book via www.townhallcavan.com

Sunday, March 19 sees the focus turn to tutoring the future with music and song one-to-one masterclass workshops from 10am.

Then from 3pm it is the final session in the Farnham Arms Hotel with many guests dropping in. A new quartet of Shane Walsh (vocals, banjo, guitar), Sean Curran (pipes), David Waters (accordion) and Niall Curran (flute) will perform to help round off the feast of traditional Irish music in style.