Féile an Earraigh 2012: Book Tickets Now!
Friday 16th March – Kila & Grainne Holland, 8pm.
Bank Square Marquee
St Patricks Evening Celebrations – Saturday 17th March
The ShamRogues & Bréag, 8pm.
Bank Square Marquee.
Sunday 18th March
The Rapparees & Bernadette Morris, 8pm.
Bank Square Marquee.
Book your tickets now!.
The annual traditional music festival runs from Wednesday 14th March – Sunday 18th March 2012.
Féile an Phobail’s spring festival Féile an Earraigh is set be the highlight of the music calendar this St Patricks weekend in Bank Square.
KILA – Will open Féile an Earraigh in Bank square. Feted by Bono and Sinéad O’Connor, Kíla have been together for over twenty years and in this space of time they have achieved a remarkable level of excellence in both their innovative and creative recorded output and their energetic live shows. Their most recent album, Soisín, was given five stars in the Hot Press review and its unique atmosphere has continued to beguile people’s ears. Kíla played this music at the welcoming of the Dali Lama to the Possibilities conference in Dublin in spring. Live, their show has gone from strength to strength. Their 2011 globetrotting exploits included a trip to the International Arts Festival in Harare, Zimbabwe, in May, where they played three sold out shows. The summer followed on with an American West tour, where they played a series of knockout shows and had people in Medford, Eugene and Olympia dancing their hearts out. Focused on the future yet rooted in the tradition Kíla have remained loyal to the ideal of composing in the traditional vein yet remaining open to influences and ideas from all around the world which gives the unique sound that Kila produces.
Gráinne Holland – “Gráinne’s voice soars and swoops and glides like a swallow in the sublime Irish summer sky.” DAMIEN DEMPSEY
Gráinne has got wonderful talent in the Irish traditional music circuit with amazing vocal strength and beauty. Gráinne’s love of Irish music and song began at an early age. Born and raised in West Belfast with both Gaelic and English and she attended the first Irish-medium primary school in Belfast; Bunscoil Phobail Feirste. It was here that her love of traditional Gaelic song was fostered. She released her debut album ‘Teanga na nGael’ in August 2011. It is a wonderful collection of traditional songs in Irish and Scottish Gaelic. The album features a brilliant line up of guest musicians including Dónal O’Connor, John Mc Sherry, Neil Martin and more, and has received excellent reviews to date.
The Shamrogues - The boys from county hell…….If you want a night of great Irish folk music played in raucous Pogues fashion then the Shamrogues are the band for you. Whether it’s a Festival or the Parish hall this is one act that will get your party started. This talented group of musicians feature an array of instruments in their arsenal combining the melodic tones of the accordion, acoustic guitars, banjo, tin whistle, fiddle together with the rhythmic movements of the bodhran, bass and drums to produce an amazing blend of music that Ireland has become synonymous for. For a night of great ‘craic agus ceoil’ packed with fun and dancing you can’t go wrong when you see the Shamrogues.
Bréag – Formed initially to raise money for local Irish language schools, Bréag have become one of the most refined and original of acts their kind. Over the last decade, having performed as far a field as Sri Lanka, Bréag have developed a Celtic fusion never before heard. The first generation of urban Gaelic speakers in modern Belfast, their Gaelic heritage permeates through their lyrics and music. With Eastern European and Latin American traditional styles, branched with roots of Reggae and Ska, Bréag give the listener, and inevitably the dancer, a unique musical experience.
The Rapparees – The Rapparees are a five piece Folk outfit based in Belfast and since meeting at school in 2004, a unique chemistry has formed between the friends. They began playing music around local clubs and it wasn’t long before the distinctive sound of The Rapparees was cemented at university in Belfast. From there, the lads quickly gained a reputation as one of the most hard-working, enthusiastic and versatile bands in Irish music with Irish Music Magazine remarking that they “…straddle the line between the traditional and contemporary with ease”. The band line-up features Joe McKeague, one of Ireland’s finest ballad singers, perfectly complimented by the rousing voice of his cousin Gerard McNeill. Kevin Mawdsley’s charismatic onstage presence on fiddle is mirrored by energetic bass player Damien McErlean. Talented guitar and banjo player Conor McCaffrey adds to Gerard’s songwriting to give the band a contemporary feel.
Bernadette Morris – Has made a name for herself as a unique performer, blending a sultry folk/Irish sound with bluesy undertones. She has sung at numerous festivals including the massive Kell’s St Patrick’s Day Festival in Portland, Oregon, Féile an Phobail- Belfast, Fleadh Feirste, Drogheda Art’s Festival and more recently Liverpool Irish Festival and has entertained international visitors at a number of conferences in Belfast. Fluent Irish speaker Bernadette’s unique voice breathes new life into traditional Irish folk songs as well as giving a more modern touch to Gaelic songs. Bernadette Morris, who hails from the hills of Tyrone and currently based in Belfast, and has spent the last 23 of her tender 30 years, quietly immersed in music and song. Bernadette is currently working on recordings in Belfast and will release an album in 2012
Ticket Outlets
During Féíle an Earraigh there will also be a number of literary events on Thursday night [15th March] we are organising a public meeting/discussion about the Ulster Covenant in Berry Street Presbyterian Church which will involve Eamon Phoenix, a unionist historian and a nationalist/republican.
On Friday 16th March - Book launch and discussion about Wee Joe Devlin, former MP for West Belfast.
A Children’s Festival Content will contain arts workshops, puppet show performances, a schools choir competition and much, much more.
Add us on Facebook, Feile an Phobail or Twitter @FeileBelfast for updated details.