May 8th – 10th, 2015 www.banjo.ie

The Clarinbridge Banjo Gathering celebrates its third year with a great programme of traditional Irish music, Bluegrass, Americana, sessions, exhibitions and workshops. The weekend kicks–off Friday evening at Jordan’s with well– known musicians Charlie Harris and Des Mulkere in an evening of lively music, song and storytelling. The organisers are delighted to have Mick Moloney as their main guest artist over the weekend. Presently associated with the Music Dept. of New York University, Mick combines the careers of professional musician, folklorist, musicologist, teacher and arts presenter and advocate (and many will remember him from his early days with the Johnstons).

On Saturday evening, in ‘If it wasn’t for the Irish and the Jews’, Mick traces the amazing story of the Jewish and Irish communities in America through their musical links during the vaudeville and early Tin Pan Alley era. Mick will be accompanied by Brenda Castles, well–known concertina player and teacher from Dublin. Saturday also includes 4 and 5 string banjo workshops, an exhibition of vintage banjos, a tour of Clareen Banjos workshop and a performance entitled Five Decades of the Banjo featuring exponents from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and 00’s. You can expect impromptu session in the pubs and there will be a Banjo Café Trail.

Their Sunday evening Grand Finale features JigJam, described as the hottest new act on the Celtgrass scene. Delivering a fusion of bluegrass and traditional Irish music with contemporary influences, this Offaly trio have developed a new, exciting, energy–fuelled live sound. Their debut album Oh Boy! is a tour de force of Irish and Americana music, and a brilliant representation of their live show. Such is their skill, it prompted Enda Scahill of We Banjo 3 to say, “A scintillating debut album from a great bunch of young guys. All events (apart from workshops) are FREE and musicians (all instruments) are welcome to participate.

Further details from the Clarinbridge Arts Group Tel. 086 835 1230 or Clareen Banjos Tel. 091 796156 or anne.fox@amicustec.ie. See www.banjo.ie  for further updates. The historic and picturesque village of Clarinbridge (home to the eponymous Oyster Festival and Clareen Banjos) is situated 15km south of Galway City, on the N18.