Thursday, April 12th
Vicar Spraoí
Vicar Street, 8pm, €25 ticketmaster.ie
Annual fundraiser in aid of Gaelscoil Lios na nóg, Ranelagh, attracts a customarily high calibre range of artists including two former members of Altan: Ciarán Tourish and Dermot Byrne, Cormac de Barra, Na Casaidaigh, Sibéal Davitt, Tom Morrow & Turlough Chambers, Máire Breatnach, Kevin Doherty, James Delany, Selk, Cór Cuilinn and Katerina García.
Gatehouse
Roscommon Arts Centre, 8pm, €15/€12 roscommonartscentre.ie
An exceptional four piece featuring flute player, John Wynne, along with his regular compadre on fiddle, John McEvoy, with concertina player and guitarist, Jacinta McEvoy and singer, Rachel Garvey. For anyone with a love of the music of Roscommon and North Connaught, Gatehouse are the ensemble to hear and see.
Bernadette Nic Gabhann, Antóin Mac Gabhann, Fionnuala Donlon and Ailbhe Nic Cába
Bewley's Café Theatre, 6pm, €12 087-2547574
Fiddle-player Bernadette Nic Gabhann, who recently launched her first solo album Here to Play, will be joined by friends, harpist Fionnuala Donlon, multi-instrumentalist and singer Ailbhe Nic Cába, and her father, Cavan fiddler, Antóin Mac Gabhann, for an evening of music and song. Another finely curated instalment of Gael Linn's monthly Siamsaíocht @6! teatime concert series.
Friday, April 13th
Sean Nós Cois Life
The Teachers Club, Parnell Square, Dublin, all weekend seannos.ie
Annual weekend-long singing festival celebrates the multifarious riches of our Irish language singing tradition. Kicking off with a session that will bring singers Liffeyside from all over Ireland, guests include Aighne Ní Chadhain, Seán ó Casaide, Briocán Bairéad, Irial ó Ceallaigh, Lillis ó Laoire along with piper, Nollaig Mac Cárthaigh and family. Tomorrow, workshops will take place in sean nós singing and dancing in Na Píobairí Uilleann while tomorrow night will see the presentation of Gradam Seán Nós Cois Life to Séamus Mac Mathúna. Sunday afternoon will see a singing session in Hughes’ Pub on Chancery Street.
John Spillane
DC Music Club, Camden Row, Dublin, 9pm €16/€14 musiclee.ie
Seasoned Cork songwriter, whose songs are imbued with a strong sense of time and place returns to Dublin for another solo performance. Formerly a member of Stargazers and a collaborator with poet Louis de Paor, Spillane weaves his love of the Irish language into some of his songs with a fluency and effortlessness that’s rare. Tonight, he plays a venue that’s ideally suited to his intimate performance style.
