LATEST NEWS

John Spillane is a musician, songwriter, performer, recording artist, storyteller, poet and dreamer. Rooted in people, place and story, his music transports the listener and his live performances captivate audiences around the world. After 20 years, in April John released his first independent release; 100 Snow White Horses.

Inspired by his travels around Ireland, these new songs are full of poetry, Irish mythology and wonder. 100 Snow White Horses is John’s first independent album in 20 years.

Recorded in London with producer John Reynolds and singer Pauline Scanlon; the trio have previously worked together on John’s albums Hey Dreamer (2005), The Gaelic Hit Factory (2006) and My Dark Rosaleen and the Island of Dreams (2008).

“After 10 years and many adventures we are combining our skills and painting this, our masterpiece.” – John Spillane

100 Snow White horses was released on April 2nd 2021.

In addition, John will lead one of his legendary songwriting workshops tickets for that are available here

6pm // DeBarra’s Folk Club // September 16 (Free but ticketed)

Nicole Ní Dhubhshláine and Kyle Macaulay are two exceptional young traditional musicians bringing an excitement and vibrancy to the scene today.

Their music, while firmly rooted in the traditional idiom is uniquely interpreted by the duo on guitar, flute, concertina and whistle.

They released their much anticipated debut album “Barra Taoide” in Autumn 2019.

9pm // DeBarra’s Folk Club // September 17

Pretty Happy are an Art-Punk three-piece from Cork. Drawing on a rebellious tradition of Cork Post-Punk, the band has sculpted their own theatre influenced, all-consuming noise rock sound.

Using a combination of spoken word, raw emotion and a demented punk style the band’s latest releases have garnered attention from the likes of KEXP, BBC 6, BBC Introducing, BBC Ulster (Stephen McCauley’s ‘Street Knowledge’), 2FM (Track of the Week), Newstalk as well as The Irish Examiner, The Sunday Business Post, Hot Press Magazine (A+R Department), Nameless Faceless, Nialler9, Golden Plec, The Last Mixed Tape and Entertainment.ie.

​The members of Pretty Happy, (Abbey Blake, Arann Blake and Andy Killian), are passionate about their local arts scene. Abbey is founder of Angry Mom Collective, a movement set up to battle the gender divide in Irish arts. All members are also keenly involved in drama and film which bleeds through to their eccentric live performances.

With Abbey’s defined pedal driven guitar sound she was announced as an Earthquaker Devices Artist in 2020.

Pretty Happy kick off their Summer with a set recorded in St. Lukes Church (Live at St Luke’s) as part of Cork’s Midsummer Festival. In a special emerging artist event, Abbey is showcasing her work as a film-maker, activist and musician.

6pm // DeBarra’s Folk Club // September 17 (CULTURE NIGHT PERFORMANCE – Free, ticketed, ALSO LIVE-STREAMED)

Hailing from the Armagh-Monaghan border, Dani Larkin is a singer-songwriter and folk musician who is being heralded as one of Ireland’s finest songwriters.

Dani will perform at the CIGF this year as part of Culture Night on September 17, marking another jewel in Dani’s breakthrough year. In 2021 Dani added to line-ups at Folk Alliance International and The Great Escape. June 2021 saw the release of her eagerly awaited debut album, with Hot Press quoting it as “promising to be one of the most exciting contemporary folk albums this year” and The Last Mixed Tape giving it a whopping 9 out of 10!

She’s been artist-in-residence at Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival and has shared stages with the likes of Rufus Wainwright, Lisa O’Neill and Wallis Bird. She recently appeared at Ireland Music Week, Other Voices (Belfast and Ballina), Sound of Belfast and Output. 2020 saw her signing a management contract with Jawdropper Music, a worldwide sync deal with Plutonic Group Syncs, and earlier this year signed with leading booking agent Midnight Mango, as well securing the Irish promoter Singular Artists to work on her upcoming Irish album tour.

A storyteller by nature, her music is inspired by the folktales she was raised with, intertwined with elements of traditional melodies and rhythms from around the world in a timeless tradition. 

‘A powerfully arresting sound…‘ Ruth Smith RTÉ Radio One

‘Steadily emerging as a rising star on the Irish contemporary and alt folk scene.’ The Irish Times

‘Wowing audiences with virtuoso guitar playing and highly individualistic self- penned songs’. Songlines Magazine

Windings are a 5-piece rock/alt/pop/indie/folk band from Limerick City, Ireland. Over the past few years, windings have had the pleasure of sharing stages, supporting, and touring with the likes of Daniel Johnston, Smog/Bill Callahan, Bob Mould, Okkervil River, Caribou, Iron And Wine, Villagers, Teenage Fanclub, Kurt Vile, and Modest Mouse, amongst others. They have performed at festivals such as Electric Picnic and Forbidden Fruit (Irl), CMJ (New York), CMW (Toronto).

2012 brought the band to Canada to play at Canadian Music Week, Toronto, for the second year running. After a successful run of shows at the festival, they continued north to Hotel2Tango Studios in Montreal where they recorded side One of their 3rd, and most recent, album, entitled ‘I Am Not the Crow’ with Efrim Menuck (Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Silver Mt Zion). Side Two was completed on their return to Ireland, with the expertise of Tommy McLaughlin (Villagers) at Attica Audio, Donegal.

Released (on Limited Edition Picture Vinyl and Digital Download) in October 2012 on Out On A Limb Records, I Am Not The Crow has been lauded by critics both nationally and internationally as one of the top Irish albums of that year, with its lead single ‘This Is A Conversation’ achieving considerable airplay on it’s release.

However, the most exciting part was yet to come when I Am Not The Crow was nominated for the Choice Music Award, the most prestigious Musical Prize in Ireland.

Mongoose is a musical melty-pot combining the vocals, instrument-playing and songwriting of four women – Molly O’Mahony, Ailbhe Dunne, Muireann Ní Cheannabháin and Cara Dunne. Their latest single ‘Old Friend’ was released in July, ahead of their much-anticipated EP ‘Four’, due for release in Autumn 2017. They are currently Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Musicians in Residence for 2017.

All four members are songwriters, which allows for rich and dynamic soundscapes. From harmony-lead delicate folk to hard-edged indie pop, their music has been constantly evolving since the release of their debut album in 2015. Celebrated for their live performances in particular, they have made memorable appearances at numerous festivals around Ireland and abroad, including Other Voices, Body & Soul, Longitude and Electric Picnic. Mongoose recently supported Glen Hansard at his sold out Vicar Street gig and performed two of their tracks from ‘Four’ with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra as part of Culture Night 2017.

“A vocal powerhouse with a line in charming yet incisive idiosyncrasy, Mongoose are an act unafraid of being true to their boundless, abstract and vibrantly coloured creative selves. A must for lovers of musical ingenuity and adventurous atmospherics.”- DervSwerve music blog, 2017.

​“[Mongoose] have graced us with more stunning vocal arrangements and a catchy refrain” – Hot Press (‘Old Friend’ – single July 2017)

Stephen James Smith is a Dublin poet and playwright central to the rise of the vibrant spoken word scene in Ireland today.  To date, his poetry videos have amassed over 1 million views online.  Stephen is a co-founder of LINGO Festival (inaugural festival in 2014), Ireland’s only spoken word festival, and poetry curator of the annual First Fortnight Festival. He co-produced Dublin: A Year in Words poetry video series for Dublin UNESCO City of Literature.

In 2017 Smith was commissioned by St. Patrick’s Festival to write a new poem as a “celebratory narrative” of Ireland.  The resultant piece ‘My Ireland’ is accompanied by a short film by Director Myles O’Reilly, arranged and mixed by Conor O’Brien (Villagers & Ivor Novello Award Winner ), with music by Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Loah, Saint Sister, Eithne Ní Chatháin (aka Inni-K) and Ye Vagabonds.  It has been viewed over 300,000 times online and was screened at London Film Festival in Trafalgar Square on March 17th.  The poem was in many ways a follow on from Smith’s previous poetry video Dublin You Are, which itself has clocked up in excess of 250k views.

Stephen has performed at high profile events and festivals such as the Electric Picnic, Other Voices, the National Concert Hall, the Abbey Theatre (Noble Call) and Vicar Street (alongside luminaries such Oscar winner Glen Hansard, Shane McGowan, Roddy Doyle and Joseph O’Connor, Shane Koyzan); and further afield at the London Palladium, the Oscar Wilde Awards in LA, Glastonbury, George Town Literary Festival (ML) and other events in New York, Chicago, Iowa, Montreal, Ottawa, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Utrecht, Ljubljana and Warsaw.  In 2012 he was invited to perform for the Irish Olympic team in London.

Arise and Go!, Smith’s debut album with musician Enda Reilly, was selected by Hot Press as one of the best albums of 2011 and he also is a member of Dublin music collective The Lazy Band, who released their debut album In My Garden last year.  His ABSOLUTE Dublin Fringe play Three Men Talking About Things They Kinda Know About (2011), co-written with Colm Keegan and Kalle Ryan, was shortlisted for the Bewley’s Little Gem Award.  And in 2010 he won the Cúirt International Literary Festival Poetry Grand Slam.

Stephen’s poetry videos have been screened at film festivals at home and around the world, and he has featured in programmes and documentaries for television such as RTÉ’s IFTA Award Winning documentary WB Yeats: No Country for Old Men; The Works (RTÉ); News Today (RTÉ); The Six O’Clock Show (TV3); Nationwide (RTÉ) and Like A Virgin (RTÉ).  He is currently working on two video’s commissioned by Listowel Writer’s Week, with Myles O’Reilly, Donal Dineen and Conor O’Brien.

Stephen has been conducting poetry workshops in secondary schools around Ireland for a number of years and was recently announced as an Artist in Residence with Dunamaise Arts Centre and Laois Arts Office, where he will develop the first ever Laois Spoken Word Project for young people in the county.  His poetry is included on the syllabus at Western Connecticut State University and his work has been translated into Irish, Spanish, Slovenian, Polish, Dutch and Italian.

Stephen James Smith’s debut collection, Fear Not, is published by Arlen House with a launch due in Spring 2018.

MINGLING WITH MOLIÈRE !

Why Molière?

Molière is provocative, caustic, saucy, disturbing, clever and moving, all that at once. He sets up and dismantled archetypes. He knocks and caresses. He speaks of love, business and politics whilst drinking glasses of white wine. On this era where we use the stage name of Jean -Baptiste Poquelin to pass discriminating guidelines, it seemed to this international troupe, that speaks ten languages daily, that it was probably important to revisit good old Molière and remind the world that he was above all a buffoon, a king’s jester and therefore an artist devoted to the unveiling of liars and hypocrites.

The Forced marriage

Comedy-ballet or comedy-masquerade created in 1664 and played at the Palace of the Queen Mother with apparitions of the king and many courtiers: played with “The Étourdi ” text of Molière. Music and libretto by Lully.
In 1667 Molière writes a play in one act without music. In 1672, the comedy-ballet was rehearsed and performed for the royal festival with “La Comtesse d’Escarbagnas” – text by Molière, a new music and libretto by Charpentier.
Footsbarn decided to reintroduce the idea of intermezzos inspired by the music of Lully and Charpentier by taking up some texts of the time on the themes of the play: an old man who marries a young girl, the fear of being cuckold, the dangers that await us: jealousy, suspicions, sorrows
The appearance of our “demons” follows a general theme: putting oneself in an impossible situation with no escape.
Footsbarn has added scenes from “La Jalousie du Barbouillé”: time has passed, they are married, the couple can’t function, the arguments are incessant and the fear of being cuckold has only increased. The environment is the same: the father, the friend, a philosopher, the brother, the lover. Dorimène becomes Angelique and the Barbouillé is Sganarelle. “Always dissatisfied, always cuckold, the most unfortunate of men.”

Life goes on. He returns and  is reminded of his fears, his doubts, and if Sganarelle foreshadows the character of George Dandin, the end is not the same: Dandin is tragic, here everything continues in spite of all like an endless ballet. Life goes on and nothing changes. Everything  turns to the absurd – “oh, the beautiful symphony.”

Artistic list

Sganarelle future husband of Dorimène: Paddy HAYTER
Geronimo friend of Sganarelle; a Philosopher: Vincent GRACIEUX
Dorimène, a coquettish young girl, promised to Sganarelle; a Gypsy: June MCGRANE
Alcantor father of Dorimène: Haris Haka RESIC
Alcidas brother of Dorimene; Lycaste lover of Dorimene; a Gypsy: Tony WADHAM
Pancrace Aristotelian doctor; a Gypsy: Henri ALEXANDRE

Technical list

Scenography, creation of masks, puppets: Fredericka HAYTER
Costume design: Hanna SJODIN
Music Creation: Haris Haka RESIC
Creation of lights: Jean GRISON
Director: Thierry MESLIN
Technicians: Léo LAFORET, Jules HARRAP

Duration: 90 minutes without intermission

FOOTSBARN TEASER TRAILER

DAVID WILL BE SPECIAL GUEST TO GLEN HANSARD UNDER THE BIG TOP AT THE SHOWGROUNDS CLONAKILTY ON TUESDAY 18TH OF SEPTEMBER

David Keenan is a twenty four year old Irish songwriter whose words seem to walk a fine line between poetry and prose with a voice that grabs you by the scruff and takes you by the hand into his world of imagination.

Inspired by escapism and lyrical greats such as Yeats, Kavanagh, Dylan and Cohen he embodied the role of a down and outs young apprentice and scoured the streets of Liverpool and London for experience before taking his notes and embryonic ideas back home to dissect. In Keenan the Irish storytelling tradition is alive and well and his live performances are both spiritual and intense in equal measure. 2017 saw David release his first single Cobwebs through Barrack Street Records with a video directed by Myles O’Reilly.

Cobwebs “This stopped me dead in my tracks”** Hozier**

David Keenan is one of our best he is extraordinary, it’s our duty to support fine talent when we hear it, see it, experience it ” Glen Hansard

“David has it all,voice,guitar playing,lyrics,he’s a master of all three.Instead of Patrick Kavanagh and Luke Kelly what springs to mind and life for me is Van the Man and Kavanagh with a luscious lilt,growing like a wildflower,sublime” Damien Dempsey

“The first time I heard David Keenan I knew he had something special….a lyricism and musical wisdom that most artists can only dream of. David not only dreams of it, he does t for real. A gifted Singer-Songwriter who has pulled me right in, right where I want to be. It’s a beautiful place”-Fiachna Ó Braonáin Hothouse Flowers

Not just another young lad with an acoustic guitar, Keenan is the sound of Tim Buckley and Brendan Behan arguing over a few jars, while Kavanagh deals Dylan a suspicious hand of cards, and Anthony Cronin and Jack Kerouac furiously try to scribble it all down.Pat Carty Hotpress Magazine

“The 24 year old with the brooding aura, intense gaze and floppy haircut is difficult to figure out but it’s indisputable that he is a excellent songwriter, mature beyond his years with a natural talent for that storytelling tradition” The Sunday Times