Our list of go-to festivals this summer is getting longer and longer by the minute, but the one that’s caught out eye this week is the Folkfest Killarney.
Taking place from 24th – 26th July, the Kerry town will welcome the best Irish and international folk and trad musicians for what promises to be a fantastic weekend of music.
To get you in the mood for Folkfest Killarney, take a listen to the below to some of the incredible acts playing in the Kingdom. Enjoy!
1. Kila
Formed in Dublin in 1987, the celtic group comprises of vocalist/bodhrán player Rónán Ó Snodaigh, his brothers Rossa and Colm, uilleann piper Eoin Dillon, fiddler Dee Armstrong, guitarist Lance Hogan, and his bassist brother, Brian. With 18 albums under their belt, Kila are a force to be reckoned with. Have a listen to their single Glanfaidh Mé below:
2. Tinariwen
Tinariwen is a Grammy Award-winning group of Tuareg musicians from the Sahara Desert region of northern Mali. The band was formed in 1979 in Tamanrasset, Algeria, but returned to Mali after a cease-fire in the 1990s. Tinariwen is a collective of like-minded musicians, poets and freedom fighters . Their popularity rose internationally with the release of the critically acclaimed Aman Iman in 2007. Since then they have played everywhere from the Hollywood Bowl, Glastonbury to World Cup Opening Ceremonies.
3. The Unthanks
Nominated for the Mercury Music Prize and the only British folk representation in The Guardian’s and Uncut’s best albums of last decade (worldwide, all genres), The Unthanks have an army of notable fans – Martin Freeman, Elvis Costello, Colin Firth, Robert Wyatt, Ben Folds, Ryan Adams, Rosanne Cash, Dawn French, Paul Morley, Ewan McGregor and Nick Hornby, to name but a few. Definable only by their restless, peerless eccentricity, The Unthanks see folk music less as a style of music and more as a oral history that offers perspective on our own time.
4. Moving Hearts & Special Guests
The band’s line-up for this special appearance at Killarney Folk Festival will include a stellar cast of many of Ireland’s finest musicians including Donal Lunny, Davy Spillane, Anto Drennan, Liam Bradley, Keith Donald, Eoghan O’Neill, Noel Eccles, Graham Henderson and a number of very special guests. This will be their first performance together since 2007 and speaking about reforming the band said: “Over the last 6 years there have been many offers made to Moving Hearts to appear in concert but due to all the band members having major commitments to other projects it wasn’t possible. When Folkfest Killarney asked us it just was the right time. It’s always a pleasure to play this music and we are delighted to again get the chance.”
5. The Lost Brothers
Over seven years The Lost Brothers have proven themselves to be one of the finest and hardest working bands around. With four highly acclaimed albums under their belt they have worked alongside and been championed by the likes of Richard Hawley, Brendan Benson, Lee Mavers and Glen Hansard to name but a few. Their latest album “New Songs Of Dawn And Dust” was produced by Domino Recording artist Bill Ryder-Jones and is widely held as their finest work to date. RTE awarded the album Radio 1 Album Of The Week. 2015 continues to see the band playing far and wide with many festivals on the horizon.
Head to Killarney from July 24th – 26th to catch the FolkFest Killarney. With performances from Moving Hearts & Special Guests, Tinariwen, Kila, Sharon Shannon, Lost Brothers, Mícheál O Súilleabháin and a whole lot more, it promises to be a folk-tastic weekend. Click here to get yourself some tickets.
