SATURDAY 6TH
Traidphicnic
An Ceardlann, Spiddal, all weekend traidphicnic.com
The community festival of music, art and theatre is now in its eighth year, and this year's programme is packed with a diverse mix of artists, from Ye Vagabonds to Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh and Doireann Glackin with Sarah Flynn. It also features the Contempo Quartet with piper Pádraic Keane, and The Friel Sisters. Workshops in music, sean nós singing, storytelling and dancing run throughout the weekend too, not to mention sessions on woodturning and wool-spinning. This is about as immersive as you'll find anywhere this summer when it comes to the traditional arts.
TUESDAY 9TH
Moving Hearts
National Concert Hall, Dublin, 8pm €44.50/€41/€50 nch.ie Also Weds.
For many of us, Moving Hearts were central to our musical awakenings way back in the 1980s. That steaming percussive sound, with Keith Donald's lissom saxophone weaving a circuitous path through Davy Spillane's pipes. This summer the band are revelling in a reunion that sees Dónal Lunny, Davy Spillane, Keith Donald, Eoghan O'Neill, Anton Drennan, Noel Eccles, Liam Bradley and Graham Henderson gather around for a reprise of the group's superb sound, with special guests Mick Hanly and sublime accordion player Máirtín O'Connor. Unmissable.
FRIDAY 12TH
Andy Irvine
Sirius Arts Centre 8pm €20 siriusartscentre.ie
The indomitable Andy Irvine lives it as he sings it and never tires of the road. Having received his lifetime achievement award at last year's RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards, Andy brings his vast repertoire, which stretches from Woody Guthrie to a swathe of his own picaresque songs, to Cobh. No doubt this Cobh location will bring out the maritime in him too.
BackWest
St John's Theatre, Listowel, 8pm €15 stjohnstheatre.com
Galwegian band featuring siblings Maureen and Brendan Browne on fiddle and accordion, dancer Peter Vickers on hand and foot percussion and Fabian Joyce on guitar and vocals. Between them, they have a broad repertoire that's steeped in their home place.
