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The
Táin Festival, centred on Dundalk is coming up
shortly (27-31 October) and we wish to give you the highlights:
The
Festival opens with the marvellous Saw Doctors at The Spirit Store (Thursday 27 October; doors open
8.30 and admission is €20). This venue
is on George’s Quay at the Newry side of Dundalk.
On
Friday night at 7.30 (€20) it is Sharon Shannon in Dundalk Town Hall. A concertina player of immeasurable quality
and grace, Sharon
began playing as a young child and is steeped in musical influences including
Portuguese, Cajun, Swedish, Scottish and French-Canadian. Her first album was the most successful Irish
traditional album ever released.
Christie
Hennessy takes the same stage the following (Saturday) night at 7.30
(€20). Christie is of course, one of Ireland’s most
successful, prolific and popular singer/song-writers with four double-platinum
albums and five Top Ten singles.
On
Sunday night the Dundalk Town Hall plays host to Lúnasa, a
fantastically-popular group especially in Dundalk
where they have played several times in The Spirit Store. ‘Exponents of a jazz-rock bass lines married
to an expanded harmonic sensibility of an older rural music .. determined to
drag Irish folk music into the 21st century’ … The Washington Post
Monday
night’s lead feature is at The Spirit Store with Martin Hayes and Denis
Cahill. ‘Irish fiddle virtuoso Martin
Hayes and American guitarist Denis Cahill have garnered international
distinction for taking traditional music to the very edge of the genre, holding
listeners spellbound with their slow-building, fiery performances. They have two critically-acclaimed albums to
their credit (The Lonesome Touch and Live in Seattle) and will be performing numbers from
their forthcoming third duet album.
AND
those are just the highlights. For the
complete programme go to www.tainfestival.com |
Recreation 
