Saturday 18th June at 8pm

Eleanor Shanley and Garadice, Kiltubrid Pipe Band. Special Guest Des Cafferkey.

This unique collaboration gives audiences a chance to see internationally renowned band Garadice with Eleanor Shanley perform with Leitrim’s legendary Kiltubrid Pipe Band under the guidance of the Clew Bay Pipe Band’s Musical Director Des Cafferkey. Des has been responsible for many exciting and successful collaborations for the pipe band with some of Ireland’s best singers/songwriters such as Imelda May and Mundy. 

Garadice formed in 2017 to record arrangement of a beautiful selection of tunes, some original and some over 200 years old. The band features Dave Sheridan, Padraig McGovern, John McCartin and vocalist Eleanor Shanley. 

Eleanor Shanley is one of the most loved and respected vocalists in Ireland. Nearly 30 years since starting her musical career as a vocalist with De Danann, and her voice as pure and lyrical as the first day she stepped in front of a microphone in 1990. Renowned for her unique interpretation of Irish and Roots songs Eleanor has been at the top of her profession since joining De Danann and has recorded many solo albums including Desert Heart, A Place of My Own and her most recent, Forever Young from which her single, the Thom Moore classic Gorgeous and Bright, was the most played track on RTE 1 Radio for the summer of 2015. 

Padraig McGovern hails from Ballymagovern, a townland on the Cavan/Leitrim border. He has recorded with numerous artists over the last decade including a highly accredited duet album with Peter Carberry entitled Forgotten Gems. Padraig recently participated in the highly acclaimed multi-disciplinary project, The Pipes The Pipes, devised by Dónal Dineen. With fellow pipers Leonard Barry and Maitiú O’Casaide and visual artists Lionel Palun and Guillermo Carrion, the show paid homage to the instrument, old pipers, current pipers and also offered and insight into the future of piping. 

Dave Sheridan’s flute playing has been described as “a highly accomplished free flowing fluid style, with sound technique and solid driving rhythm” (Hot Press Magazine) and a flute style, which takes on “Lark like qualities” (Roots Magazine). On the back of his critically acclaimed debut album Sheridan’s Guesthouse, he released his second solo flute album entitled Drivin’ Leitrim Timber in 2010. This album has received rave reviews, with The Irish Times describing it as “a joy… a thoughtfully organised collection, that celebrates a fluid free flowing regional flute style…with enough sharp edges to keep the listener’s antennae on high alert for the next hairpin bend”. Dave has recorded with artists from renowned traditional groups like Lunasa, Dervish, At The Racket and De Danann as well as performing on many occasions with the Sligo based band Téada. He has also performed on The Late Late Show, The Ray Darcy Show, Geantrai, The Reel Deal and Fleadh Live. 

John McCartin started playing the fiddle at the age of 10 under the tutelage of Frank Kelly and later Maureen Fahy. He won many county and provincial titles at underage levels. Inspired by bands like Planxty, Dervish and Lunasa John turned his attention to accompaniment in his adult life. Since then he has become a regular accompanist to many of the tradition’s greatest exponents. 

Des Cafferkey is a native of Achill Island, Co. Mayo, where his musical journey began under the baton of John ‘Twin’ McNamara, is widely regarded as one of the finest exponents of the tin whistle and flute in Ireland as well as an accomplished player of the Scottish bagpipes. Des has been successful at a competitive level achieving All Ireland awards for senior tin whistle and bagpipes. He has performed with artists as diverse as Imelda May, Jeff Beck, Mundy, Damien Dempsey, Jack L, Pete Williams, Matt Molloy, Sister Sledge, Paul Brady, Mary Coughlan, Gerry O’ Connor, Paul Mc Grattan, Steve Cooney, Lúnasa, Laoise Kelly and the St. Laurence O’ Toole Pipe Band at Carnegie Hall.

Des is the Pipe Major and co-founder of ‘The Clew Bay Pipe Band’ (Banna Píob Chuan Modh)  which makes him the musical director, and senior instrumentalist. 

Des has three albums to his credit. ‘Achill Head’ which was released in 2009 featuring 13 tin whistle tracks and supported by some of Ireland’s top traditional musicians such as Tony Byrne on guitar, Tony ‘bodhrán’ Quinn and John Flatley on piano. His second album ‘Achill Air’ was released in 2012 and displays his talents as a composer by including four original pieces which sit comfortably alongside his unique treatment of traditional tracks on the album. ‘Trad with a Twist’ (2014) is a follow up to the two previous, highly successful albums. Guest artists on this album included Matt Molloy, Trevor Hutchinson, Shane McGowan, Laoise Kelly, Raphael Dziubinski, Bart de Boar, Kyle Dunleavy, Peter Browne, and The Clew Bay Pipe Band.

Des has also recently recorded and arranged a bagpipe score for ‘I’m a Rover’ a track from Nathan Carter’s new album “Little Old Town”. 

This project has been made possible through the support of Leitrim County Council and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport & Media under the Local Live Performance Programming Scheme 2021

TICKETS €15 – select your seat(s) on the tab below

[tc_seat_chart id=”4070″ show_legend=”true” button_title=”Pick your seat(s)” subtotal_title=”Subtotal” cart_title=”Go to Cart”]