Feast of music on Inishbofin with top performers for concert series

Throughout July and August the Connemara island of Inishbofin presents a feast of music for visitors and locals alike with the Inishbofin Concerts, featuring a series of performances by some of the country’s best singers and musicians.

The series began last week with the distinctive Jack L performing an intimate gig in the island’s Dolphin Rest Hotel. Next up is the popular Leitrim-born singer Eleanor Shanley, who was most recently seen in Galway when she performed as part of De Dannan’s Arts Festival concert. Her unique voice and engaging relationship with her audience have won her fans and accolades at home and abroad. For her gig on Tuesday next, July 26, she will be joined by the multi-talented singer and musician Frankie Lane and by Paul Kelly, versatile fiddler and mandolin player. Admission to their show is €15. 

Tuesday, August 2 will see the award-winning Declan O’Rourke take to the stage. By now recognised internationally as a singer/songwriting of exceptional skill, O’Rourke is a performer who revels in intimate performance venues and this concert is likely to be a very special one. Admission to his show is €20.

The following Saturday, August 6, will see the tempo ratchet up a notch with a concert by the talented Inishbofin musician Peadar King, who has just released his second CD, The Shadowlands. The very best of music is promised from this exceptional singer/song writer, whose music is firmly rooted in the Irish tradition. Peadar’s show costs €10.

On Tuesday August 9, fresh from his recent performances in RTÉ’s All-Ireland Talent Show, singer/songwriter Don Stiffe – one of Galway’s own – takes to the stage. Don is a singer and musician who never gives less than his best and his concerts are guaranteed to keep his audience entertained. Admission to his concert is €15.

Tuesday, August 16 will see another top-class singer/songwriter take to the stage – Damien Dempsey. Unsurprisingly, Damien’s most recent concert on Inishbofin in 2010 proved so popular that a return visit was marked in straight away. For this gig Damien will be joined by Sean Regan on guitar, fiddle and vocals, and by piper and former TG4 Musician of the Year, Seán McKeon. Admission is €20.

Rounding off this year’s series of concerts, on Tuesday August 23 will be a quartet of singers and musicians who promise to lift people’s spirits with their songs and to provide toe-tapping music.

Inishbofin’s own Dessie Say you love Me O’Halloran, will head a line-up which will also include the award-winning box player Oliver Diviney, the internationally renowned fiddle player Nollaig Casey, and another local Inishbofin participant, the multi-talented singer and guitarist Geraldine King, who also organises the concert series. Admission to that final concert is €15.

All in all, this year’s series offers a diverse line up, designed to appeal to all musical tastes. All the concerts will take place in the Dolphin Hotel, and all will begin at 9.30pm sharp. Admission to the concerts ranges from €10 to €20 for adults, with admission for children at all concerts being €8.

For more information contact the Dolphin Hotel at 095-45991, or email: [email protected]