Kilkenny TradFest and free music trail - Back with a bang this week!

Kilkenny Tradfest is back with a bang, offering a range of concerts, gives and live performances kicking off across the city this week from Wednesday to Sunday. 

Established in 2013 and supported from the start by Kilkenny City Vintners, with the active backing of Kilkenny County Council, TradFest has attracted numerous accolades for its quality programming of music. In 2016, TradFest was awarded ‘Small Festival of the Year’ by IMRO ‘in recognition of Ireland’s live music venues who provide the public with exceptional live music experiences, week in, week out’.

In total, an impressive 88 free gigs and concerts are scheduled to take place across pubs and venues from one corner of the city to the other. The line-up of participating venues reflects the commitment by local vintners to mark the return of live music and welcome their patrons, with the lifting of restrictions. The free Music Trail is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the familiarity of our favourite places again to enjoy a coffee, bevvy or a bite while listening to great live music once again. 

Participating venues featuring new, local and popular musicians include: 

An Poc Fada (Rose Inn Street); Billy Byrnes (John Street); Bollard’s (Kieran Street) ; The Brewery Corner (Parliament Street ); Cat & The Fiddle (Irish Town) ; Christy’s (Patrick Street); Doherty’s (Friary Street); Hackett’s (Parliament Street) ; Hibernian Hotel (Patrick Street);  Kilford Arms (John St) ; Kilkenny Inn (Vicar Street); Kyteler's Inn (Kieran Street); Lanigan’s (Rose Inn Street); Langton’s (John Street); Matt the Millers (John Street); Ormonde Hotel (Ormonde Street) ; Paris Texas (High Street); Pumphouse (Parliament Street); Rafter’s Gastro Pub (Friary Street); Ryan’s (Friary Street); Syd Harkin’s (Rose Inn Street); Sullivan’s Taproom (John Street); The Cat & Fiddle (Irish Town); The River Court (John Street); Syd Harkin’s (Rose Inn Street); The Front Room (John Street); The World’s End (John Street); The Village Inn (Upper Patrick Street) 

The Headline Trail Act at Paris Texas, Friday 18th March features box player extraordinaire Peter Browne, with musical friends Sligo guitarist Shane McGowan, guitar; and Damien McNeffin on banjo. Returning to Kilkenny once again, the skill and energy of their music from jigs to jazz rhythms is renowned and much loved by local audiences. Their concert is bound to enthral audiences.

Some members of ‘Caladh Nua’ will be resident in the city for the weekend and can be seen in Dempsey’s Gastro Pub on Friary Street. See the very talented Derek Morrissey, Paddy Tatty, and Caoimhín Ó Fearghail.  Described as a ‘terrific, young band, creating solid traditional music with plenty of flair and lots of musical imagination" by Irish Music Magazine, their music is spirited, full of skill and certain to impress. 

Some highlights performing over the five-day Music Trail include:

Conor King (banjo/guitar) and Pierce Maher (fiddle) play at Matt the Millers, 6pm Wednesday 16th March; 
Derek Dempsey (accordion), Paddy Tutty (fiddle), Caoimhin Ó Fearghail (flute) play 10pm Thursday 17th March at Rafter Dempsey’s. 
Shane McGowan (guitar) at Paris Texas 8.30pm Friday 18th March 
Trad Session with Anthony McAuley and friends, 6pm Saturday 19th Kytlers, Kieran Street. 
Trad session with David Sheridan (fiddle), Michelle Sheridan (fiddle), Eric Butler (guitar) 4pm Sunday 20th March at the Village Inn;. 
Billy Carrigan (pipes) Jim Carrigan (Pipes) Ivan McGuire (bazouki) at Sullivan’s Tap Room, John Street. 
Other popular musicians performing at local venues include: John Travers (Trad & Folk) at Kilford Arms Hotel; The Barflies at the Pumphouse; The Wild Rovers, at Kytler’s Inn; Whiskers of Lichen at Ryan’s; Richie Pyne and Aisling Pennycook at Matt the Millers; The Savage Jim Breen and friends at Billy Byrnes and many more great gigs and live performances. 

Chairperson of Kilkenny TradFest Brendan Treacy acknowledging sponsorship from Bulmers Ireland said, ‘It’s hugely positive and satisfying to have such an extensive programme of live local free music and that gigs and concerts were such a vital part of bringing our venue to life and welcoming the return of both locals, visitors and tourists to Kilkenny’s finest pubs and hostelries’. 

Other concert venues are: The Watergate Theatre who host the Kilfenora Ceili Band (Thurs 17th); George Murphy & The Rising Sons (Sat 19th) and the legendary Paul Brady (March 20th).

On Wednesday 16th March Cleere’s Bar and Theatre kick off with ‘The Bonnymen’ who Hot Press describe as having ‘a reputation for electric live performances with energy reminiscent of the Bothy Band’. This reflects the tone of TradFest which is about experiencing, enjoying and discovering familiar and new musicians right across the city. Performances follow by Seo Linn on Friday 18th and Inni-K Sunday 20th March. (This special series are paid gigs) 

The new Medieval Mile Museum Music Series is a wonderful new addition to the programme. It takes place nightly at 7.30pm from March 16 to 20 and promises to be a unique experience of magnificent music in a spectacular setting. The five glorious performances comprise:

- Zoë Conway and John Mc Intyre - exciting blends of fiddle and guitar music from husband and wife folk duo Wednesday 16th March 
- Iarla Ó Lionáird and Steve Cooney - songs from sean-nós tradition by the uniquely talented friends and collaborators in music (March 17); (sold out)
-A double act John and Pip Murphy with harmonica playing brothers, plus award-winning Folk singer Aoife Scott (of the renowned Black family) + band (Friday March 18)
- Trad virtuoso Kevin Burke, + The Goodman Trio: acclaimed uilleann piper Mick O’Brien, multi-instrumentalist Emer Mayock and renowned fiddle player Aoife Ní Bhriain (March 19). The fabulously talented trio will perform the music of Canon James Goodman A native Dingle man, Goodman compiled more than 2,000 Irish tunes, now held in Trinity College Library).
- Mairtin O’Connor, Cathal Hayden and Seamie O’ Dowd - Ireland’s most renowned Irish button accordionist (Sunday 20th March)
Tickets are €20. All proceeds to Amber Kilkenny. Booking on www.kilkennytradfest.com 

The Bandstand programme of daily live free performances 12-7pm (March 16 - 20) at the Canal Square will include some of Kilkenny’s most talented Irish traditional and folk musicians. With performance from Burnchurch, Tulua Trad, The Savage Trad Family as well energetic and vibrant ceili dance performances by Striolan Ceilí Band, as well as the emerging local Trad group Tír Na Nóg; Comhaltas Craobh Osraí, plus many more performances of music, song and dance. 

The programming of musicians is supported by the Local Live Performance Support Scheme (LLPPS): a Government funded scheme administered through the Kilkenny Arts Office which aims to support the return of in-person music events, utilising Government resources to provide much needed employment for performers and musicians who were hardest hit by the pandemic. 

Events continue into the evening with a range of great music and fire performances, Brazilian Drumming band Maracatu Ile Brihante, extraordinary fire performances from Rogu at the Butler Gallery, plus a free special concert from Kila screened on our outdoor cinema at the Courthouse, Parliament Street at 8pm on Saturday. 

The Medieval Mile Music series is €20 per ticket, 7.30pm nightly  from Wednesday (March 16 – Sunday March 20). 

There’s a whole range of trad, ballad and folk music to be enjoyed no matter what your preference for traditional Irish music is! Take your pick from one or many of the 88 free gigs to attend; this is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a sing along or to simply experience the joy of live, local in-person performances again at close range this Kilkenny TradFest. 

Booking for all concerts: www.kilkennytradfest.com