The press Launch for the 3rd annual Letterkenny Trad Week that takes place from January 20th to 30th 2017 was held at An Grianán Theatre on Tuesday December 13th.
The event goes from strength to strength each year and the 2017 festival has an expanded programme featuring five great concerts, music workshops and artists-in-residence The Rheingans Sisters from England. A brilliant series of folk and traditional music concerts includes performances by some of the world’s leading musicians including: Billy Bragg and Martin & Eliza Carthy from England, Julie Fowlis and Kris Drever from Scotland, Na Mooneys, Lynched and No Crows from Ireland and Joe Henry and Special Consensus from America.
All concerts start at 8pm and tickets can be booked at An Grianán Theatre on 00353 74 9120777, or online at www.angrianan.com Tickets for RCC concerts are priced €12 / €10 concessions, Martin & Eliza Carthy is €20 and Billy Bragg & Joe Henry is €25.
Trad Week not only sorts out any January blues you might have but with a special Pre-Christmas Early Bird Offer, of all 5 concerts for €60 only, it also provides a great option for Christmas presents (offer ends December 23rd). Letterkenny Trad Week is organized by Donegal County Council Regional Cultural Centre and An Grianán Theatre, in association with Earagail Arts Festival, Donegal Music Education Partnership, Music Network and media partner Donegal News.
Regional Cultural Centre Concerts
Letterkenny Trad Week kicks off with three concerts at RCC Letterkenny. There’s a blistering double-bill with classic US Grammy nominated Bluegrass band Special Consensus and the first Letterkenny visit by Sligo’s dynamic folk orchestra No Crows on Friday January 20th. Leading Scottish outfit Lau’s frontman Kris Drever teams up with the exquisite Hebridean singer Julie Fowlis and two of Ireland’s leading traditional musicians Aoife Ní Bhriain (fiddle) and Padraig Rynne (concertina) as part of a Music Network organised Irish Tour on Sunday 22nd. There is another incredible double-bill on Friday 27th with leading Donegal traditional music family group Na Mooneys, featuring sisters Mairéad and Anna Ní Mhaonaigh, their brother Gearóid and his son Ciarán, and the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards winning Rheingans Sisters from Sheffield.
An Grianán Theatre Concerts
The final two Letterkenny Trad Week concerts take place in the wonderful surroundings of An Grianán Theatre. The ‘A Family Affair, Gala Concert’ on Saturday January 28th features an amazing line-up of Martin & Eliza Carthy, Lynched, Rheingans Sisters and young local musicians Coirm. Martin Carthy ‘the greatest English folk song performer of them all’ (Q Magazine) and his twice Mercury nominated daughter Eliza, will be joined by brothers Lynched ‘the most convincing folk band to come out of Ireland in years’ (The Guardian), 2016 BBC Radio 2 Folk Award Winners (Best Original Track) and Folk Award Nominees (Best Newcomer), the Rheingans Sisters and Coirm, the wonderful young ensemble from Letterkenny’s Ceol na Coille traditional music school.
The final concert on Monday 30th features Billy Bragg & Joe Henry. In March this year Bragg and Henry, boarded a Los Angeles-bound train looking to reconnect with music inspired by the railroad. On this ‘Shine A Light’ tour, they’ll be playing songs from that journey, along with favourites from their own considerable back catalogues.
Letterkenny Trad Week 2017
Fri 20 January at 8pm
Special Consensus and No Crows
Regional Cultural Centre
€12/€10 Book now!
Sun 22 January at 8pm
Kris Drever, Julie Fowlis, Aoife Ní Bhriain, Padraig Rynne
Regional Cultural Centre
€12/€10 Book now!
Fri 27 January at 8pm
Na Mooneys / The Rheingans
Regional Cultural Centre
€12/€10 Book now!
Sat 28 January at 8pm
A Family Affair Gala Concert featuring Martin & Eliza Carthy, Lynched, The Rheingans Sisters and Coirm
An Grianán Theatre
€20 Book now!
Mon 30 January at 8pm
Billy Bragg and Joe Henry
An Grianán Theatre
€25 Book now!
