The Kilfenora Céilí Band returns to the Watergate in Kilkenny

The legendary Kilfenora Céilí Band, who have established themselves as a unique force in Irish traditional music, will perform in the Watergate Theatre in Kilkenny on St Patrick’s Night.

Originally formed in 1909, deriving from musician families in and around historic Kilfenora in the Burren area of Co Clare, the band has constantly been refreshed with young talent.

In concert, their powerful instrumental sound is accompanied by spectacular dancers and great songs. Their core repertoire of dance music, demonstrating incomparable lift and rhythm, reflects an unbroken tradition – many Irish musicians have grown up learning ‘Kilfenora tunes’ that the band made famous.

The band’s catalogue also includes diverse collaborations and dynamic experimentations, ensuring an exciting and cutting-edge live performance. While acknowledging and incorporating the past, ‘the Kilfenora’ thrives on creativity and innovation.

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The Kilfenora Céilí Band has travelled extensively, visiting Britain, Northern Ireland, Europe and the US. They have performed at Glastonbury twice, once headlining the Acoustic Stage. They are also renowned for winning the All-Ireland Céilí Band competition many times (including two ‘three-in-a rows’). Ten albums have been recorded since 1958, the most recent being ‘Both Sides Now’ in 2019.

The band features fiddles, bass, cello, flutes, banjo, concertina and accordion, with what Folk Roots magazine called ‘one of the tightest rhythm sections in the world’.

Tickets are €32 and can be booked online at watergatetheatre.com or on 056-7761674 Thursday, Friday or Saturday between 3 and 6pm.