The annual Galway Sessions, the two biggest nights of country music in the year in Galway, are rolling around fast. Big Tom, Johnny McEvoy, Margo O’Donnell and Leona Williams are among the headline acts for the shows which will once again be staged in the Salthill Hotel on Sunday and Monday, 5-6 November. The shows are hosted by Michael Commins.

These are magical nights by the shores of Galway Bay, when friends meet year after year to enjoy two nights of real country music in the company of some of the well-known stars along with some lesser-known artists who always go down a treat.

They just don’t come any bigger than the main man himself, Ireland’s best-loved country star of them all, Big Tom McBride. They adore the man from Castleblayney in the west of Ireland and Big Tom is always accorded a few standing ovations when he performs at the Galway Sessions. He will headline the show on the Monday night.

Fresh from his recent appearance on Nationwide on RTÉ, presented by Mary Kennedy, Tom is once again assured of a tumultuous welcome during his visit down west to Galway.

Patrons will also have a truly special treat in store on the Monday night show when Leona Williams will make her Galway debut. Leona, ex-wife of American country legend Merle Haggard, has performed countless times at the Grand Ole Opry over the years as well as in Branson, Missouri. She has been a regular member of the touring group, American Ladies of Country Music.

Once described by George Jones as “one of the finest female country singers ever to step up to a microphone”, Leona is assured of a very warm welcome to Galway. She will also be joined by her son Ron who will perform on the show.

Dermot Hegarty is 50 years in showbiz and he will celebrate this special moment in his life at the Galway Sessions on the Monday night. The Longford man has resided in England for many years and is still fondly remembered for his huge chart-topping song, 21 Years.

Others on the big show on the Monday are cherished country singers such as John Glenn, Tony Kerr and Pat McKenna. Matt Keane, from the famous musical family from Caherlistrane, is a special favourite at the shows and other acts include Caitriona Ní Cheannabháin, Pat Jordan, Tom Langan and Barry Stuart, son of the legendary Gene Stuart. This show is expected to be a complete sell-out.

The action gets underway on Sunday night, 5 November, with a show that is sure to delight the regular patrons. It will also mark the first appearance of Johnny McEvoy at the now renowned Galway Sessions in the Salthill Hotel.

Johnny is one of the true giants of the Irish music scene, having burst on the national stage during the ballad boom era of the mid-1960s. He is, like Big Tom, a true national treasure and what a welcome awaits him in Salthill.

Margo made her debut at the Galway Sessions last year and such was the response that she just had to be invited back again. The girl from Donegal has a long-standing association with Galway and Mayo and that fondness for the western province is always reciprocated in full measure by the appreciative audiences.

Paddy O’Brien from Waterford is back by popular demand, as is Billy McFarland from Antrim. Caitlin Murtagh from Down will make her debut at the Salthill shows on the Sunday night. Eddie Lee from Kerry, enjoying major success with The One Going Home To You Tonight, is also on the show, as are Dan and Mary Sheerin from Westmeath, Kevin Prendergast, John McIntyre, Pat Keane, Mick Mulhern, Joe Forde, John Joe Deeley and Caroline Cresham.

The shows attract an incredibly loyal audience year after year, with some travelling from the UK and America as well as from every county in Ireland.

The regular afternoon sessions have become a central feature of the get-together and these are held on Sunday and Monday, 3pm to 5.30pm, with Mick Mulhern, Tom Lyons, Michael Holster and Michael Golden providing some great country music in the lounge. Many of the artists join them for some songs as well as members of the audience. There will also be music and dancing in the lounge after the concerts on both nights, with Mick Mulhern and Friends leading the way.

Tickets cost €30 for each show and are available from the Salthill Hotel (091-522 711), Zhivago, Galway, and other regular outlets in Galway and Mayo. They can also be purchased from ticketmaster outlets or direct from Patsy Brown on 086-155 1841. CL