Saturday, March 24th
Fianna Éireann
Ionad Cultúrtha, Ballyvourney, Co Cork; 6pm (lecture) and 8.30pm (concert); €20; ionadculturtha.ie
This newly composed work by Peadar Ó Riada, launched by President Michael D Higgins, focuses on the story of Fionn Mac Cumhaill and his warriors, the Fianna, set in the third century. Ó Riada's suite, in turn, is based on an epic poem that he asked the late professor Pádraig Ó Fiannachta to write, having drawn on the wide sweep of stories associated with the Fianna. Na Reacairí, a band of some of the best musicians in the country – including the piper Mick O'Brien, the guitarist Steve Cooney, the fiddle player Aidan Connolly, the percussionist Tommy Hayes and the harpist Oisín Morrison – will accompany Ó Riada.
Sunday, March 25th
Kevin Doherty and Ciarán Tourish with Dermot Byrne
DC Music Club, Camden Row, Dublin 8; 9pm; €15; musiclee.ie
A powerhouse gathering featuring three exceptional musicians, all with Donegal roots. Doherty – guitarist, singer and composer – is a long-time member of 4 Men & A Dog. With two fine solo albums to his name, he inhabits a clandestine world where roots meets Americana, with a tincture of traditional influences in the mix. Tourish and Byrne are both former members of Altan, on fiddle and accordion, and both have forged formidable reputations in their own right as musicians unafraid to mine the depth and breadth of a tune. A most promising conglomeration.
Friday, March 30th
An Góilín Singers Club
Teachers Club, Parnell Square, Dublin 1; 9pm; €3; goilin.com
Come hell or high water this weekly singing circle gathers, welcoming singers with songs in any language. It's a haven for those with voices and with listening ears: anyone with an appetite to mine the riches of a good song. Club regulars Jerry O'Reilly, Fergus Russell, Frank Nugent, Antaine Ó Farcháin, Mick Keeley and Máire Ní Chróinín anchor a session whose arms are as wide as they are welcoming.
