Get your folk fix at the Jim Conway Music Festival

All roads will lead to Plumbridge next month, as the Jim Conway 2022 Traditional Music Festival will kick-off in celebration and fantastic folk song.

Hosted by CCÉ Cappagh Badoney, the entertainment extravaganza will begin in earnest on Friday, September 16, at Plumbridge Parochial Hall, at 8.30pm, with a concert featuring Cathal Hayden, Máirtín O’Connor, and Seamie O’Dowd – otherwise known as The Máirtín O’Connor Trio.

Since the trio’s first performance in Sligo nearly 20 years ago, they’ve toured worldwide, as well as making two critically-acclaimed recordings, Crossroads and Going Places.

Their path has taken them from the Sydney Opera House to New York’s Symphony Space Centre as part of Martin Hayes’ Masters Of Tradition concerts. They toured central and eastern Europe with the legendary Australian guitarist, Tommy Emmanuel, and have played their own gigs in Ireland, Britain, Europe, The United States, Australia and New Zealand to ecstatic receptions from audiences.

They have also accompanied Irish folk hero, Christy Moore, on numerous concerts, as well as guesting on three of his more recent recordings. Described aptly as ‘Irish traditional music’s power house trio’, their live performance is a virtual whirlwind tour from deep within the heart of the Irish musical traditions right to the edges of its outer limits.

Máirtín O’Connor is easily one of the finest all round musicians that Ireland has ever produced. His musical history includes spells with De Danann, Midnight Well, Skylark, plus collaborations with Mark Knopfler, Tanita Tikaram, The Contempo Quartet and countless others. Meanwhile, his own renowned accordion wizardry and composing, have become the stuff of Irish music legend.

Cathal Hayden needs no introduction. An All-Ireland champion on fiddle, as well as banjo, and a founder member of super group, Four Men and a Dog, Cathal has also founded an excellent fiddle-based group with his brother, Stephen, and brilliant young Armagh fiddler, Niall Murphy, called The Bow Brothers. He has also collaborated with members of American folk legends, The Band, and plays most of Christy Moore’s performances.

Multi-instrumentalist Seamie O’Dowd has carved out a reputation as one of Ireland’s finest musicians. He toured the world for six years as a member of Sligo supergroup, Dervish, as well as playing with Liam O’Flynn, Kevin Burke, The Chieftains, The Unwanted, New Road, Thom Moore, Sligo pianist, Kieran Quinn, and many others.

Admission is by ticket only, at a cost of £20.

On Saturday, September 17, from 11am until 1pm, music workshops will take place at St Peter’s Primary School, Plumbridge, with Stephen Hayden on fiddle, Maurice Hayden on banjo, Annette Owens on button accordion, and PJ McDonald on whistle, at Lá Spraoi in Glenelly GAC clubrooms, there will be fun and games for children, while learning Cúpla Focail Gaelige.

Named after Plumbridge native and traditional music master, Jim Conway, the Jim Conway Traditional Music Festival was founded in 2013, and has continued to bring an eclectic array of traditional music to the town ever since.

Contact 07710990616 for further information.