Tradfest to have Kilkenny jigging and reeling in March

The best of local and national musicians and singers will bring the city’s streets and hostelries alive this March as the city combines our national cultural heritage with the weekend of celebration of our national holiday.

Over 90 music sessions will take place in pubs and venues around the Marble City between Thursday March 16th and Sunday March 19th with Bulmers Ireland as the festival’s main sponsor and Kilkenny City Vintners members hosting the musical events.

As in previous years, a number of national headline acts will also feature in ticketed events throughout the city’s well-known venues, but the majority of sessions and gigs will be free to attend.

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Festival Manager, Marian Flannery, said the event will be tinged with a little sadness as a result of the untimely passing of some of the festival’s former performers:

“We are, of course, hugely mindful of the passing of Séamus Begley in recent weeks. Séamus, along with what he called his boy band, Téada, headlined our very first festival at a major open-air concert in Kilkenny Castle Park, while they returned for a fantastic indoor performance in the Set Theatre in 2019. Séamus captured the hearts of so many who saw him play and his direction of a mighty sing-song and music session in the Club House Hotel summed up his passion for the music and his inclusion of all present in the fun and merrymaking.

"We will also miss Phil Callery, whose haunting performance with the seminal singing group, the Voice Squad in the Medieval Mile Museum will live long in the memory of those lucky enough to get tickets on the night.

"Both Séamus and Phil would want the music and song to carry on and would celebrate the new and emerging talent which we try to showcase in Tradfest Kilkenny.”

Pat Crotty, Chairperson of Kilkenny Tourism said the city’s hospitality businesses were looking forward to a bumper Tradfest weekend:

“Our re-emergence from the Covid period is well under way and our members are delighted with the appetite of locals and visitors alike to get back to normal socialising as we know it. Of course, Kilkenny’s festival culture is key to our reputation as a destination of choice. We were delighted to play a central part in this festival for the past decade and we look forward to welcoming music fans this St. Patrick’s weekend.”

Chairperson of Kilkenny City Vintners Association, Anthony Morrisson, acknowledged Bulmers Ireland as the main sponsors of Kilkenny Tradfest and said they were delighted that Bulmers have continued their support as Tradfest Kilkenny marks a decade since it began:

“Bulmers are part of the heritage of the South East of Ireland, producing a natural product as part of a centuries old tradition. We are delighted that they have continued to support a festival which has the traditions of our region and nation at its heart. We hope that those attending the events at Tradfest will enjoy the incredible heritage of Kilkenny, particularly some of the oldest and proudest pubs in Ireland, while also enjoying the crisp flavour of Bulmers traditional products.”