This annual festival is a celebration of traditional Irish music and singing and has evolved into one of the highlights in Drogheda’s cultural calendar year. With a strong focus on traditional song, it blends the finest talents, young and old from near and far.

Friday, 29th November - Sunday, 1st DecemberBooking: 041 9833946 Online: www.droichead.com

Friday 29th November

Outreach Workshops in association with Music Generation Louth

Various schools in the Drogheda area will take part in music workshops with Mark Redmond (Uilleann Pipes) and Deirdre Ní Bhuachalla (Harp).

Traditional Singing and Music Concert for Primary School Children

Venue: Droichead Arts Centre, 10.30 am | Admission: €3

Primary School pupils get a taste of different styles of traditional music and singing from Drogheda, Louth and from other areas across the island. Featuring guest singers Gerry Cullen, Stephen Mc Ardle, Jilly Cullen and Aideen Morrissey and Mark Redmond on Uilleann Pipes.

Brendan Begley & Family in Concert with guests Nell Ní Chróinín (vocals) and Sunday’s Gate Quartet (vocal harmony)

Venue: Droichead Arts Centre, 8.30pm | Admission: €15 / €12 conc In memory of the late Caitlin Bean Uí Cairbre

Join us in welcoming one of the great families of traditional music to Drogheda for a toe-tapping evening of slides, polkas, songs and slow airs. Regarded as one of the country’s finest box players, Brendan and the Begley Family of West Kerry are renowned, talented musicians.

Joining them is guest sean-nós singer Nell Ni Chróinín, from the Múscraí Gaeltacht of West Cork, commonly acknowledged as one of the most exciting traditional singers of her generation.

Local group The Sunday’s Gate Quartet have been preforming together for the last 25 years. They draw on a strong tradition of harmony singing in the Drogheda area and have combined this with songs from the folk traditions of other countries. The group comprises of brothers Kevin & Paddy Branigan, Fiach McHugh, Declan Hoey and Michael Rafferty.

Saturday 30th November

Music Workshops Venue: Barlow House, Narrow West Street | Fee: €10 per workshop Booking essential due to limited number of places on each workshop

Fiddle Workshop with Donal O’ Connor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1pm - 3pmGuitar Workshop with Paul Meehan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1pm - 3pm

Flute Workshops with Martin Meehan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1pm - 3pm

Concert with Donal O’Connor (Fiddle), Paul Meehan (Guitar) and Martin Meehan (Flute) Venue: The Tholsel, West Street, 5 - 6pm | Fee: €10

A member of Dundalk’s best known musical dynasty, Donal O’Connor is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer and television presenter in his own right. He is also a member of ‘At First Light’. Together with his musician friends Paul and Martin Meehan who hail from Co. Armagh, they will perform a short concert in the historical setting of The Tholsel.

Music Sessions | Admission Free

Session at D’vine, Dyer St. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 - 4pmSession at Artisan Foods, Stockwell St. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 - 6pmSession at O’ Casey’s , Trinity St. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 - 9pm

Carberry’s Pub, North Strand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.30pm

Saturday’s Day of Dance at The Barbican Centre, William Street

Grand Ceili with Triskell Ceili Band and special guests Brendan Begley and Family

Venue: Barbican Centre, William St. Admission: €10 and €30 Family (2 Adults and 2 Children) includes Supper

This promises to be a fantastic night’s dancing. Triskell are a well-known band from Co. Louth and are increasingly in demand at home as well as in Europe and the U.K. The drive and energy of their music would move anyone towards the dance floor. And from the Begleys we can expect the fantastic Kerry polkas and slides played by Kerry’s finest.

Sets Workshop

10am - 4pm Admission: €10

A unique workshop featuring three Louth Sets; Cuchullain, Boyne and Rikenstown Sets led by Louth’s dancing treasure, John McEvoy.

Beginners Sets Workshop

10am - 1pm Admission: €5

A workshop introducing people to the joys of Irish Traditional dancing. Learn the basic steps and one of the simpler sets at your own pace with the help of Tony Purcell.

Two-hand Dance Workshop

4pm - 5.30pm Admission: €5

A workshop featuring dances from Donegal led by Donegal native Michael McGlynn and his wife Kathleen.

Sunday 1st December

SessionsFamily Session | Droichead Arts Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2pm - 4pm

Session | Salthouse Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3pm - 5pm

Singing Workshop with Kevin Branigan and Brendan Begley

Venue: Barlow House, Narrow West St. | 2pm - 3.30pm | Admission: €10 (limited space so booking in advance is recommended)

Singing Session Venue: Droichead Arts Centre, Stockwell St. Café/Bar | 4 - 7pm | Admission: €5

Hosted by Drogheda Traditional Singers, this session has been described as a ‘spiritual experience’ by visitors who’ve attended in the past. Unaccompanied singers will gather to share collected songs from home and away. There will be two special guest singers: Sinead Lynch from Cavan who is a member of the group ‘Landless’ and Michael Quinn who hails from a renowned family of storytellers, singers and musicians from Mullaghbawn, Co. Armagh.

Final Session Cagneys Bar, Dyer Street, Drogheda | 7pm - 9pm

Booking Information

Tickets can be purchasedIn Person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Droichead Arts Centre, Stockwell Street, DroghedaTelephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 041 9833946Online (Free) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.droichead.com

Facebook . . . . . . . . . . . www.facebook.com/droghedatraditionalmusicweekend

We would like to give special thanks to our sponsors without which the festival would not be possiblethis year; Create Louth, Cisco Engineering and Pat Carolan, Phelan Branigan Solicitors, Music GenerationLouth, IMRO, Coca Cola and The Mayor of Drogheda Cllr. Richard Culhane. We’d also like to thank Droichead Arts Centre for hosting the festival.