TradFest 2025

Tickets on sale from 11th September 2024

Luka Bloom

In 1972 Barry Moore wrote a song called “Wave up to the Shore”. Not his first song, but it had something. He did some gigs, wrote some songs; and, in 1987, he boarded a plane for New York, and Luka Bloom was born. “Riverside” was released in 1990 on Reprise Records. It was followed by “The Acoustic Motorbike, and Turf”.

During the early 1990s, the life of writing, recording and touring took off. The US, Australia, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, and UK are frequent destinations for Luka’s songs. As well as his own touring, he has performed at some of the great festivals: Pinkpop (Holland); Roskilde (Denmark), Torhout\Werchter (Belgium), Newport Folk Festival (US), Byron Blues Festival (Australia), Glastonbury (UK), and Cambridge (UK). Most of all, he regularly sings all over Ireland, where he lives in County Clare.

Since 2000, Luka has been releasing his own songs and music. With 17 independent albums in total, as well as a book of photographs and some lyrics called “Homeplace”. In 2022, Luka was singing “Wave up to the Shore” at home one afternoon and h e suddenly realised it was 50 years old. This resulted in a triple CD of 50 songs from the past 50 years.

Mick Hanly with Anto Drennan and Eoin O’Neill

Born in Limerick, singer-songwriter Hanly was inspired by mid-50s rock ‘n’ roll and the Liverpool beat group scene of the Sixties. He soon turned his attention to American folksingers such as, Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, and emerging singer songwriters, Paul Simon, James Taylor and Canadian songstress, Joni Mitchell. In 2024, Mick toured with the guitarist Anto Drennan and bassist Eoghan OʼNeill.

The Henry Girls

The Henry girls, Karen, Lorna, and Joleen, are an Irish folk trio from Co.Donegal renowned for their thoughtful songwriting, enchanting melodies and captivating harmonies. With the harp as their signature instrument, they evoke the soul of Celtic tradition while infusing it with a modern edge. Their latest album, A Time to Grow (2024), has earned them widespread critical acclaim, showcasing their exceptional talent and innovative songwriting. Their music resonates with audiences worldwide, bridging the gap between the past and the present. With each performance, the Henry girls continue to enchant listeners, leaving an indelible mark on the folk music landscape.

Evelyn & Declan

Declan Sinnott and Evelyn Kallansee (Evelyn & Dec) started working together in the dark Winter of 2020. Now they’re ready to step into the light. They have written and recorded an album together called ‘Make for Joy’. It was released on February 29th 2024 and was RTE 1 ‘Album of the Week’.