De Dannan in Concert

Last Updated on Thursday, 21 June 2012 22:08 Saturday, 07 April 2012 22:47

Written by Admin

alt Legendary fiddler Frankie Gavin & his band De Dannan are coming to Ardmore to play a live gig on Wednesday, 25 July in St. Declan’s Church! They will play this 2012 Ardmore Pattern Festival warm-up event as part of their 2012/2013 'Up Close and Personal Tour'. Surely a Date for the Diary!

Tickets are now on sale. They cost €15 and advance booking is essential by contacting either (086) 233 0810 or (085) 174 1614 or you can e-mail us via this website or on ardmorepattern@gmail.com

Following the successes of live music events in St. Declan’s Church in recent years, culminating in a packed Church for a wonderful Tommy Fleming concert in 2011, the Pattern Committee has decided to organise a similar event for this year’s Festival, and we are delighted to have secured Frankie Gavin & De Dannan for this wonderful venue. The acoustics and atmosphere in our local Church are perfectly suited to the band’s wonderful sound and we are really looking forward to what promises to be a fantastic live gig.

For many years ‘De Dannan' were the forerunners in the Irish traditional music world but after 33 years, 14 albums and a number of changes in the line up, the group disbanded in 2003. In August 2009, Frankie Gavin unleashed a new ‘De Dannan' line up, which in his own words "reflects a ‘De Dannan' of the 21st century". The current ‘De Dannan' ensemble (now known as ‘Frankie Gavin & De Dannan') is led by Frankie Gavin on fiddle, flutes & whistles with Damien Mullane on accordian, Eric Cunningham on percussion, flutes & whistles, Mike Galvin on bouzouki & guitars and Michelle Lally on vocals.

Originally named Dé Danann after the legendary Irish tribe, Tuatha Dé Danann, De Dannan was formed in 1974 by Frankie Gavin (fiddle), Alec Finn (guitar, bouzouki), Johnny "Ringo" McDonagh (bodhrán) and Charlie Piggott (banjo) as a result of sessions in Hughes' Pub in An Spidéal, County Galway. Since then, the line-up has changed many times, and former vocalists with the band include Dolores Keane, Maura O'Connell, Mary Black, Johnny Moynihan, and Eleanor Shanley. Indeed, Tommy Fleming himself sang with the band from 1994 – 1997.

One constant in the De Dannan story has been Frankie Gavin, regarded as one of the genuine legends of Irish music. From his first TV appearance playing the tin-whistle when he was six, to seven solo albums, his adventures in the realms of Jazz, Gospel, and Klezmer, through to appearances and recordings with such luminaries as Earl Scruggs, Stephane Grapelli, Sir Yehudi Menuhin, and the ‘Rolling Stones', ‘the prince of Irish fiddlers' is one of the outstanding performers of the past thirty years.

‘Frankie Gavin & De Dannan' has played support to the ‘Rolling Stones' at Slane Castle, performed twice to an 80,000 capacity crowd at Croke Park, Dublin (during national sporting occasions), performed with the ‘U.A.E. Philharmonic Orchestra' in Dubai, with the ‘Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra' during a tour of the USA, at The White House for President Bush and at the US Capitol Building for President Obama. The band toured China in July 2010 with the Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra and played such venues as Shanghai Grand Theatre and Beijing Opera House. The tour was also aired on China Central TV to over 500 million viewers. Their latest album, entitled ‘Jigs, Reels & Rock ‘n' Roll', includes a guest appearance by Ronnie Wood of the ‘Rolling Stones'.

In establishing the new ‘De Dannan' in 2009, Frankie Gavin has assembled a group of fiercely talented performers. If you've never been lucky enough to see ‘Frankie Gavin & De Dannan' perform live, now’s your chance to be wowed and enthralled by a truly wonderful group of musicians and singers. So, put the date in your Diary – Wednesday, 25th July 2012, St. Declan’s Church, Ardmore.

So, book your tickets now by contacting either (086) 233 0810 or (085) 174 1614 or by e-mailing us.