The upcoming Letterkenny Trad Week gives everyone something to look forward to and provides the perfect antidote to our post-Christmas blues. The 9th Annual Trad Week from January 19th to 31st features a jam packed programme of exceptional concerts at the Regional Cultural Centre and An Grianán Theatre. As is often the case, Trad Week lasts for more than a week and has six great evening gigs at the RCC and one evening concert and two free lunchtime concerts at An Grianan.
Letterkenny Trad Week, first held in January 2015, is a major celebration of Irish traditional, folk and world music. Every year the event brings some of the world’s finest traditional musicians from Ireland, the United Kingdom and further afield to Donegal. World-renowned artists who have performed at Trad Week include Billy Bragg & Joe Henry, Altan, String Sisters, Lau, Julie Fowlis, Usher’s Island, Martin & Eliza Carthy, Lankum, Xylouris White, Special Consensus, Maura O’Connell, Lisa O’Neill, Sharon Shannon, Michael McGoldrick & Dezi Donnelly, and many more.
Trad Week 2024 kicks off with the legendary Luka Bloom on Friday 19th, the twice Grammy-nominated artist, Iarla Ó Lionáird performs with Cormac McCarthy and Matthew Berrill on Saturday 20th and NOTIFY, the six-piece contemporary instrumental ensemble, complete the first weekend on Sunday 21st. The group is made up of Pádraig Rynne (concertina), Tara Breen (fiddle), Davie Ryan (drums), Rory McCarthy (piano), Adam Taylor (electric bass) and Hugh Dillon (guitars).
Nodlaig Ní Bhrollaigh, the renowned singer and musician from Dungiven, gives a special concert to launch her highly anticipated new album ‘Cuimhní Rúnda’ on Friday 26th. The world renowned six-piece band Arcanadh are in concert on Saturday 27th. The line-up consists of Martin Gallen (guitar and vocals), Colm Breathnach (banjo and vocals}, Maria Corbet (harp and vocals), Fiona Walsh (fiddle and vocals), Sinead Gibson (whistles and vocals) and Mags Gallen (piano, fiddle and vocals). Arcanadh will be joined by Donegal young supergroup Coirm with a performance of a new work composed by Catriona Ní Ghribín, specially commissioned by the RCC and Ceol na Coille,. The final RCC Trad Week gig is Scullion on Sunday 28th. Formed way back in the mid-1970’s, Scullion are revered as one of Ireland’s most innovative, original and brilliant live bands.
The final evening concert features the brilliant duo of Rónán Ó Snodaigh and Myles O’Reilly at An Grianán Theatre on Wednesday 31st. Rónán and Myles’ unique sound and devoted friendship make for a truly magic live show that is not to be missed. The two free lunchtime concerts at An Grianan feature Jack Houston, a young fiddle player from Burt who will perform tunes from his recently released debut solo album Ómós on Thursday 25th and Galway based singer-songwriter Brigid Mae Power, acclaimed as a purveyor of dreamy pop with folky leanings, on Friday 26th.
So do yourself a big favour and get along to one or more of these great events. The Trad Week box office is located at An Grianán Theatre, Port Road, Letterkenny, (074) 912 0777 or online at regionalculturalcentre.com.
Letterkenny Trad Week is kindly supported by the Arts Council and Donegal County Council.
The Line Up
Fri 19 January at the RCC
Luka Bloom
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Sat 20 January at the RCC
Iarla Ó Lionáird with Cormac McCarthy and Matthew Berrill
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Sun 21 January at the RCC
NOTIFY
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Free Lunchtime Concerts at An Grianán
Thu 25 January at 1.30pm in the cafe
Jack Houston
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Fri 26 January at 1.30pm in the cafe
Brigid Mae Power
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Fri 26 January at the RCC
Nodlaig Brolly album launch
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Sat 27 January at the RCC
Arcanadh, with support from Coirm
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Sun 28 January at the RCC
Scullion
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SPECIAL TRAD WEEK SHOW FOR NATIONAL SCHOOLS
Tue 30 January at 10am & 12pm at An Grianán
The Land of a Hundred Little Hills
Ceol Connected
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Wed 31 January at 8pm at An Grianán
Trad Week: Rónán Ó Snodaigh and Myles O’Reilly
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