The Cream of the UK & Ireland’s Tradtional Irish Musicians prelaunch Manchester’s Irish Festival

Manchester Irish Festival Guinness Tradfest Press Office

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The Cream of the UK & Ireland’s Tradtional Irish Musicians prelaunch Manchester’s Irish Festival

This years Manchester Irish Festival’s Guinness Anniversary Tradfest was given a VIP prelaunch in Levenshulme’s m19 bar on Thursday 26 February. The sell out gig featured the very best of the UK and Ireland’s traditional Irish musicians. Headlining the night was the legendary guitarist Steve Cooney who flew in from Australia. Steve who is best known for his work with the chart topping Sinead O’Connor was a massive hit with the audience, especially when he informed them that his father and grandfather were actually born in Levenshulme. Steve was joined by virtuoso accordion player Dermot Byrne of Altan fame, fiddler Dezi Donnelly who has spent much of the last year touring with Sharon Shannon and multi award winning Manchester Flute player Mike McGoldrick.

Supporting these superstars of the traditional Irish Music scene were ‘Shake the Barley’ from Young, Gifted & Green who feature the world champion whistle player Mairead Hussey, accordion player Kevin Mulhearn, guitarist and drummer Matthew Kelly, fiddle players Fidelma and Pierce OBrien and Sean Nos singer Hannah Donelon. The band have a very busy Irish festival having been selected to officially help launch the festival at Manchester Town Hall on Friday 6 March, the following night they play a sell out concert at the prestigious ‘Monastery’ with Young, Gifted & Green, then they headline their own tradfest back at m19 on Friday 13 March for the St Patrick’s weekend celebrations.

Lawrence Hennigan from the marketing director of the festival website said “It was a great precursor to our forthcoming two week Tradfest that will feature just over 250 hours of traditional Irish Music and culture. It was a fantastic night and put a real smile on everyone’s faces. It was great to see the support given to the future of Manchester’s traditional Irish music in the form of ‘Shake the Barley’ who are developing into one of the city’s favourite traditional Irish Bands.”

The Manchester Irish Festival which is now in its fourtenth year runs from Friday 6 March to Saturday 21 March and features just under two hundred events at thirty venues, eighty of the events take place in Levenshulme village.