IrishMJ

A few months back, a friend mentioned a gig that was taking place in Whelans in September.  Glen Hansard , David Keenan , Mark Geary and a few others were all due to play.  It sounded like a good night out and hey, it was in aid of a charity, so I just had to go! Turns out that the charity in question was Aidlink .  So who are they? Well, Aidlink are an Irish NGO working with communities in Kenya, Ghana & Uganda to deliver basic needs such as water, education, healthcare and promoting & protecting Girls' Rights.  That’s a very worthy cause so go check out their website . OK, that’s the reason we were all there out of the way, so who played you’re probably wondering.  Well lots, lots of artists played!  I don’t have photos of everyone unfortunately, fun got in the way of taking photos at times! The main gig was downstairs in Whelans, each artist played 2 or 3 songs and things moved along nicely. I also caught a few acts live that I'd never seen before such as A

I’ve seen SON (Susan O’Neill) live many many times before, but always as part of King Kong Company and never on her own. So when I heard she was playing nearby in Kilcullen as part of the Hardly Strictly Acoustic Festival , I just had to go. It’s safe to say that I wasn’t disappointed. Susan's voice is incredible. It's raspy, it's powerful, it's warm, it's... I could go on, but I’d sound like a fanboy! Anyway, if you get a chance to see her play, go. If you don’t, then buy her album . Actually, buy the album either way! I'll make no excuses for the terrible photographs, but if you want to, you can check them out below:

I’ve seen Lisa Loughrey play many times over the last few years and I’ve enjoyed every gig.  Not only does she have an incredible voice, but she writes amazing songs also.  You really should check her out on YouTube   and go buy her music! The setting for tonight's gig was the beautiful Tea Lane Graveyard in Celbridge. The Chapel, which now doubles as an performance space for the arts, was full of very appreciative fans and Lisa and band played a stormer of a gig.  One of the many things I love about Lisas music is the story that goes with a song.  Every song has a tale attached to it, be it something personal or something historical.  It adds so much to the performance. Anyway,  add Lisa to that ever growing list of artists that I recommend and when you get the chance to see her live, don't wonder if you should go, just go! Check out the photos below:

This is the 5th year (I think) of the Naas Wild Food Festival and it is going from strength to strength.  The festival is situated down in the pedestrianised harbour area of Naas. Yes, Naas does have a harbour, all  thanks to a branch of the Grand Canal! Anyway, this area is perfect for the festival, it’s only a few minutes walk from the main street and is big enough to house all the food stalls. Speaking of food, well, I had to try some and it was tasty, very very tasty.  Something there to suit all needs! But I wasn’t there for the food, I was there for the music!  Lined up to play on the main stage were the Kilcullen Gospel Choir ,  Saoirse Casey , Sina Theil and Paddy Casey .  Now, somehow I got things a little wrong and I missed the Kilcullen Gospel Choir, but I did manage to catch Saoirse, Sina and Paddy! Great food, great music, great turn out that even the rain couldn’t dampen!  What more could you ask for in a festival?  I really enjoyed the day, so roll on the Na