Francie’s big night in Bundoran

Donegal singer Francie Keown will launch his new album, Simply Country, at a gala night in the Hollyrood Hotel in Bundoran on 11 April. The man from Ballyshannon will be joined by a host of well-known entertainers to mark the occasion. The influence of Big Tom on Francie’s career is crystal clear when one looks at the 10 songs in this collection. Eight of them were recorded by Big Tom down through the years and this latest album from Francie reflects the enduring appeal of the man from Castleblayney after all those years.

“Big Tom has been my hero since my childhood days. I always do a lot of his songs on my shows around this region. It will come as no surprise to people who know me that I have included a lot of Big Tom’s songs on the album,” says Francie.

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Sharing the bill with Francie on his launch night will be Philomena Begley, Gerry Guthrie, Pau Kelly, Seán Corrigan, Elaine Gormley, Karl Kirkpatrick, John Garrity, Farrah Bogle, Seán Gibbons and Francie Smith. Admission is €10 and dancing gets underway at 9pm. The compere is Marion Fitzgerald from Ocean FM.

Big Tom Story on Sky 389

A rerun of the Big Tom Story and Song show in the Hot Country series will be screened on the Sky 389 Keep It Country channel next Tuesday 11 April at 11pm. The programme was first broadcast to much success three years ago. The two-hour show, which features Big Tom in a major life story interview with Michael Commins, will be aired in two one-hour parts, with the second part going out the following Tuesday night, also at 11pm. There will be a repeat of both parts on Wednesday 12 April and 19 April at 12pm.

Kilfenora Céilí band for Charleville show

The Kilfenora Céilí Band will perform in concert at the Charleville Park Hotel on Sunday 17 April at 8pm. It promises to be a wonderful night of music, song and dancing. The band was formed back in 1909 and enjoyed various highs as well as many valley periods during the decades since. Under the guidance of John Lynch, the band enjoyed a major renaissance in the 1990s and, in more recent years, has attained iconic status as the carrier of the flame.

“We are delighted to have the Kilfenora visit us here in Charleville,” says PJ O’Gorman. “The band has a wonderful reputation and they come right from the county that is the heartland of traditional music in Ireland. All who come along to the Charleville Park Hotel are assured of a most enjoyable and uplifting show. It is a privilege to see such a class band on stage.”

Tickets cost €25 and are now on sale at the hotel (063-33701). For more information, visit www.charlevilleparkhotel.com.

Desi launches new band in Tullamore

Athlone native Desi Egan will launch his new band at a gala night in the Tullamore Court Hotel on 11 April. Desi is excited about the venture and is looking forward to undertaking some short tours of Ireland in the months ahead. Among the artists joining Desi for the launch are Mick Flavin, John Hogan, Eamonn Jackson, Marc Roberts, Gloria, Joe McCaul and Simon Casey. Tickets for the show will be available at the door on the night. For further details, contact the Tullamore Court Hotel on 057-934-6666.

Longford Ploughing anchor band

4Degrees West is the anchor band on stage all day at the Longford Ploughing Championships on 10 April. The four-member group from Longford and Cavan – Bart Nannery, Colm O’Reilly, Aishling O’Reilly and Emma O’Reilly – will showcase their music and provide backing for celebrity ploughing contestants Mick Flavin, TR Dallas, Cliona Hagan and Aidan Quinn.

Mike Denver album launches

Mike Denver will host a series of meet and greet sessions to mark the launch of his new album, Cut Loose, next week. The Portumna man will visit Downtown Records in Castlebar on Friday, 15 April, at 1pm.

Mike will conduct a signing session in Stewart’s Record Shop in Dungannon on Saturday 16 at 2.30pm and will be in OMG in Shop Street, Galway, on Sunday 17. Fans of Mike in the Cavan region can see him when he calls to Multi-Sounds in Cavan town on Wednesday, 20 April, at 2pm.

The new album features a variety of styles and Mike says he is very pleased with the choice of material for his first recording venture of 2016.