Eagerly awaited Kilkenny concert just over a week away!

Airneán, a male vocal ensemble group have been garnering much attention with their positive sounds since forming as a group last year and will perform in St Canice's Church in Kilkenny later this month.

The folk group, consists of former college choir members and friends who studied together at Maynooth University, each holding a strong passion and affection for music.

For many teens, heading to college is a time to let loose. Party, make noise and even meet that special someone. Each experience creating long-lasting memories.

For Airneán, not only were life-long memories created, a musical future was born.

The group, featuring Kilkenny man Joe Leydon dates back to a performance of 'Raglan Road' as the then young students attempted to earn a much coveted spot on national television. Alas, it wasn’t to be but that only encouraged the young performers to try harder and more opportunities arose.

The bug for music had been well and truly caught, with a performance at the Fleadh Cheoil last year sealing the deal. Airneán was born!

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But even in their wildest dreams, what was to come couldn’t have been foreseen.

Three months after being formally formed in February, the group performed to a large crowd in Bewley’s Cafe on Grafton Street, earning them many new fans as a result, while their ever-growing social media presence means their sweet music is hitting all four corners of the globe.

However, for one member of the group the best is yet to come as the band prepare to hit the road and visit Kilkenny later this month.

Joe Leydon, a son of the Marble City is known and respected in many aspects of local life even at the tender age of 22.

From being a member of the much loved Leydon dynasty, a family deeply associated with local sport and music to forging a career as a solo singer and musician, the young man has squeezed a lot into his life already. But, what makes this dynamic so special?

"We’re all into the same stuff, we’re all lads who love to sing music and especially this sort of music so we really gel," Leydon said.

"Because we all sang together already we kind of all knew who had a strong voice and who didn’t. We heard other people singing so we knew it would be good and singing is a great thing becuase the more you do it, the more you get better and we can already here in general how much our voices have come on," he added.

"You’re singing at such a high level that it actually enables you to put more confidence in yourself and when you’re confident the guys around you are more confident."

Thursday, August 22 will be somewhat of a homecoming for Leydon and Airneán as they perform at St Canice’s Church with tickets available HERE

"There’s a lot of excitement. When I brought the lads down to J.B.’s, we sang two or three songs and they (those in the pub) loved it," he commented.

Leydon hailed Fr Jim Murphy for making the dream a reality, making the church available for the debut concert in what’s sure to be a great night for all.