The Oliver Plunkett 10pm: FESTIVAL CLUB North Cregg & The Oars €15
Thirteen years on from the birth of one of Ireland's best traditional music groups, North Cregg continues to produce some of the freshest and finest sounds to be heard in Irish music today. The beautiful vocals of Claire Anne Lynch combine with Christy Leahy’s spirited accordion-playing, Liam Flanagan’s accomplished fiddle and banjo playing and a tight rhythm section with Ciaran Coughlan on swing piano and Martin Leahy on drums, percussion and guitar. Rooted in the vibrant traditional music of their native County Cork, North Cregg embraces musical influences from around the world to create their own distinctive style.
Line-up
Claire Anne Lynch (vocals, violin), Christy Leahy (accordion), Liam Flanagan (fiddle, banjo, mandolin), Ciaran Coughlan (piano), Martin Leahy (drums, percussion, guitar)
The OARS is a new contemporary duo featuring songwriter and guitarist Eoin Coughlan and multi-instrumentalist Brian Morrissey. Their recently released album was recorded and produced in Louisiana by multi-Grammy winner Dirk Powell, who describes: “Listening to The OARS, one gets drawn in first by the infectious rhythms and magnetic musical chemistry. The tunes and grooves are rock solid yet always moving. The songs arrive in the centre of this feeling, full of brave lyrics, vivid imagery, and fearless emotion. Their combination of rawness and finesse is truly rare and instantly engaging”. The OARS are already attracting attention from some of the main European festivals. They recently supported the iconic band The Stunning and are set to tour with Damien Dempsey in April 2025.