RTE plans for Country Late Show

Plans are well advanced for the hosting of the Late Late Country Music Show on RTÉ on Friday, 20 April.

This will be the third year that RTÉ has dedicated the flagship show to country music and it comes on the back of the massive viewing figures recorded by the previous two shows.

Ryan Tubridy, host of the show, has been acquainting himself with the country scene over the last few years and country singers are now making much more frequent appearances as guests on the Late Late Show.

Most of the major names on the Irish country circuit will feature on the upcoming show, as well as some young and aspiring singers who are making inroads on the circuit. The show is expected to deliver another bumper audience on the night.

Carlow gears up for Summerfest

Carlow Town will get into the swing of things this July, when it will host its first major music festival. Summerfest Carlow is the title of a two-evening event which will be held at the Carlow Rugby Club at Oak Park on Saturday and Sunday, 21-22 July.

The first Summerfest will have a strong country flavour, with local man Derek Ryan as the bill-topper on the Saturday show and Nathan Carter headlining the Sunday evening show. Rising star Cliona Hagan from Tyrone will join Derek and his band on the opening evening, while Barry Kirwan, also form Tyrone, will be among Nathan’s guests.

Ollie Hennessy from Carlow, one of the organisers of the event, says they are delighted to see such a major event being hosted in the town.

“Carlow has missed out on big occasions like this all down the years. We believe there is a market for a show of this nature here in the region. The news that we are hosting the Summerfest has been warmly welcomed around the region and we are looking forward to two big nights in Carlow Town in July.”

Tickets for the shows are now on sale at summerfestcarlow.com and a ticket for both days can be purchased for €45. See Summerfest Carlow on Facebook for regular updates on the weekend in July.

Jordan leads the way

A foretaste of what to expect from the forthcoming album by Jordan Mogey comes our way with the release of Who Needs You Anyway, a single release from the collection.

All the tracks on the new album are written by Jordan, along with Nashville based co-writers and friends, Kent Maxson and Gerald Smith.

Jordan, who is in his mid-20s and hails from Ballymoney in Co Antrim, was the recipient of the Best Country Newcomer accolade at the Farmers Journal Country Sound awards night in Athlone three years ago. He is regarded by many as having one of the finest voices when it comes to young artists singing traditional roots country music on the island of Ireland.

Cliona for Ballymahon show

The Sheerin Family Band will be joined by Cliona Hagan for the regular, once-a-month gig in Cooney’s Hotel, Ballymahon, on next Tuesday night, 3 April.

Cliona, who has a master’s degree in music from Queen’s University in Belfast where she studied classical and opera, decided to follow her heart and go down the country trail. The Tyrone singer has leaped to the forefront of the country scene over the last two years and has been honoured with numerous awards along the way.

This will be her first time to join the immensely talented Sheerin family for their prestigious shows in Ballymahon.

The seven members of the family, who will be on stage together on Tuesday night, are also members of various other bands on the Irish circuit. The lineup consists of Carmel (John Hogan Band), Simon (Jimmy Buckley Band), Tom (Nathan Carter Band), Kieran (Johnny Brady Band), Danny (The 3 Amigos) and Des and Paul (Simon Casey Band).

Among the regular performers at the Ballymahon shows are their parents, Dan and Mary Sheerin, who are always huge favourites with the audiences. The show starts at 10pm and admission is free. CL