GIG OF THE WEEK
Dermot Kennedy
3arena, Dublin; Monday, December 13th, and Tuesday, December 14th, 5pm and 9pm; ticketmaster.ie
Dermot Kennedy has won a global audience thanks to such tracks as Outnumbered, Giants and Better Days, but the Dubliner hasn't forgotten where he came from – all profits from these shows will go to Pieta and Focus Ireland. To comply with new Covid-19 restrictions, Kennedy is doubling up and doing two show each night instead of one. It's not the perfect solution, and some punters will be scrambling to get from work to the early show. But at least these charity gigs will go ahead, and you can bet that Kennedy's uplifting electro-pop lightning will strike twice each night.
Animal Farm
Black Box, Galway; Wednesday, December 15th, to Sunday, December 19th; €18/€16; tht.ie
In this age when bestial leaders are taking over the farm and trampling on human rights, George Orwell's Animal Farm is as relevant as ever. Galway Youth Theatre are tackling this timely drama in a raucous new production featuring a big ensemble cast, a live band and an epic score. It's the tale of a charismatic pig named Trum – sorry, Napoleon – who leads a four-legged revolution at Manor Farm, and promises a bright new dawn free of liberal leftie interference. Of course, the whole project goes very wrong and soon Manor Farm is in complete chaos.
The Coronas
3Olympia, Dublin; from Thursday, December 16th, to Saturday, December 18th, 6pm and 9pm, €44.90; ticketmaster.ie
The Dublin trio have had to postpone their True Love Waits tour to comply with the new Covid restrictions, so true fans will have to wait until December 2022 for the rescheduled gigs. But the good news is the Coronas have moved fast to rejig this week's 3Olympia gigs to comply with the 50-per-cent-seated-capacity rule. They'll be doing six shows over three nights, one at 6pm and one at 9pm each day, and it's not just for the fans but also to give beleaguered staff and crew much-needed work – and a well-deserved lift – in the run-up to Christmas. The name for this new run of shows? True Love Prevails.
Orla Gartland
Academy, Dublin, Thursday,December 16th, 7pm, €21.50; Dolans, Limerick, Friday, December 17th, 8pm, €20; Cyprus Avenue, Cork, Saturday, December 18th, 7pm, €17.50; orlagartland.com
The Dublin singer-songwriter and guitarist plays three shows around Ireland this week, and whatever about Covid-19 restrictions, you can bet there'll be no restrictions on the devotion and loyalty this woman commands among her fans. Gartland will be performing tracks from her debut album, Woman on the Internet, including Zombie, More Like You, Pretending and Do You Mind? Equally able to rock out like Joan Jett or go all tender and gooey like Adele, Gartland is sure to bring the audience on an emotional, cathartic journey with her unfiltered songs that tell it like it is and not how Instagram would like us to think it is.
Paddy Casey and Mundy
Maritime Hotel, Bantry, Co Cork, Friday, December 17th, 7.30pm, from €25; Gleneagle Inec Arena, Killarney, Co Kerry, Saturday, December 18th, 9pm, from €25; paddycaseymusic.com
The guitar troubadours team up for a show that promises to be millennial heaven. Casey and Mundy both came to prominence in the late 1990s/early 2000s, and between them they've a trove of great songs to warm hearts and souls, including Casey's The Lucky One and Saints and Sinners, and Mundy's To You I Bestow and July. Casey released his new double album, Turn This Ship Around, in August, and in December 2020 Mundy released his first new tune in five years, Dark Long Enough. Expect this to be a unique meeting of musical minds.
Eimear Quinn
Pavilion, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin; Friday, December 17th, 8pm; paviliontheatre.ie
Remember when we could meet up for Christmas without having to wear a mask, socially distance and smother our hands in sanitiser? And remember when Ireland used to win the Eurovision Song Contest? It's 25 years since Eimear Quinn won with The Voice – and, alas, that was the last time Ireland took home the grand prix. But Quinn has continued to enchant everyone from Queen Elizabeth to Michael D Higgins with her voice, and last year she released her latest album, Éiru, recorded with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. Quinn's annual winter concert at the Pavilion is always popular; this year she's playing tracks from Éiru as well as seasonal favourites, accompanied by the Mamisa String Quartet and the guitarist Robbie Overson.
This Way To Christmas! Featuring The Snowman
National Concert Hall, Dublin; Friday, December 17th, 5.30pm; Saturday, December 18th, and Sunday, December 19th, 10.30am, 2pm and 5.30pm; €25 (adult), €19 (child), €82 (family); nch.ie
Theatre Lovett and the NCH Christmas Orchestra under Fergus Shiel are back with a new family Christmas extravaganza, with the classic animated film The Snowman as the centrepiece. The orchestra will perform Howard Blake's score for the film live, along with seasonal classics including excerpts from The Nutcracker. There will be lots of festive treats for the kids along the way, plus a very special guest appearance. I wonder who could that be.
