Black Bank Folk + Special Guests Tola Custy & Laoise Kelly

Black Bank Folk are a 4 piece band from Dublin, Ireland, made up of members James Sheeran, John Colbert, Mark Colbert and Seán McKeon. The band bring together a plethora of musical influences from Indie rock and Americana to Irish folk and traditional. The mix produces a contemporary feeling that, especially through McKeon’s influence, still has echoes of the ancient. The primary subject matter of their songs and music is a reflection of where they’re from; unmistakably Irish but that of a changing Ireland. The band debuted in 2016 with the critically acclaimed album Rising, a 1916 concept album, which also saw a collaboration with Irish legend Damien Dempsey. Since their debut the band have performed and toured extensively around Ireland and abroad. June 2019 saw the release of the band’s second album Last Star Fall. An album recorded through 2018 and early 2019 with producer Gavin Glass at Orphan Studios high in the Dublin Mountains. After a hiatus brought about by a global pandemic and expanding families, the band have announced that their third studio album, Echoes on the Street was released in late August of 2024. This album of original songs was again recorded and produced by Glass. The first single from the album, Bricks and Mortar, was Friday 14th June. The band , John and Mark Colbert, (stalwarts of the Irish music scene having played and toured with the likes of Damien Dempsey, Paddy Casey and Jerry Fish), James Sheeran, and traditional multi-instrumentalists Sean McKeon (2005 TG4 young musician of the year) and Sharon Hussey (winner of the Golden Fiddle awards, Melbourne).

Tola Custy comes from Toonagh in County Clare. His father, Frank was the local primary school teacher and also inspired many people to play traditional music. The name of Custy is synonymous with Clare fiddle music and the fiddle playing of Tola Custy is one reason for that. In the 1990s, as a member of the legendary Calico, Tola recorded two albums and toured the world. In the years since, Tola has been in great demand playing with many bands and musicians including Mirella Murray, Flook, Padraig Rynne, Arty Mcglynn, Heidi Talbot, Pauline Scanlon and Grada. He is currently a member of the supergroup Guidewires, as well as playing with The Alan Kelly Gang and touring with Laoise Kelly, The Albiez Trio and Lunasa. Tola is an experienced and in demand tutor appearing regularly at both Meitheal Summer School and Willie Clancy week. As well as his traditional Clare heritage, he has a large repertoire of foreign and newly composed material. At the top of his game within his tradition, Tola is a patient tutor offering tuition to benefit all ages.

Laoise Kelly from Westport, Co. Mayo, now living on Achill Island, is regarded as the most significant harper of her generation – Nuala O’Connor. She has pioneered a new style of driving instrumental harping showcased in her three critically acclaimed solo albums Just Harp, Ceis and Fáilte Uí Cheallaigh. She was director of the Achill International Harp Festival, encompassing her role as musical director of music Suites Sraith Oileán Acla, Mayo-Breton & Ireland Galicia collaborations.Laoise was a founding member of traditional group Bumblebees with whom she recorded two albums and toured extensively. She is a founding member of Fiddletree a group from America, Cape Breton and Scotland who play 8 instruments made from the same tree-they have two albums to date. Her latest album release is Ar Lorg na Laochra with Monaghan Uilleann piper Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn. Throughout her solo career she has recorded on over 70 albums with many of Ireland’s foremost artists including Seamus Heaney, The Chieftains, Christy Moore, Sharon Shannon, Dónal Lunny, Tommy Makem, Matt Molloy, Tommy Peoples, Mary Black, Maighread & Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill, as well as Kate Bush and American country/bluegrass icon Tim O’Brien. Laoise tours regularly with different collaborators: piper Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn; fiddler Tola Custy; Music Network pals Josephine Marsh, Tara Breen & Nell Ní Chróinín; singer and accordion player Breanndán Begley; award winning Scottish Gaelic singer Kathleen MacInnes; & Achill fiddler Diarmuid Gielty. Laoise composed new music in 2018 for Theatre Gu Leòr’s Scotties, a co-commission of the National Theatre of Scotland and The Abbey, Dublin. She was Musical Director on Brendan Beehan’s The Hostage and Seán O’Casey’s Purple Dust with Glasgow theatre company Arches at the Edinburgh Festival. She toured with NY based Mabou Mines award winning production of Peter & Wendy to the Edinburgh Festival and the Old Vic, off Broadway. She has toured and performed worldwide, at festivals including Womad, Celtic Connections, Celtic Colours, Tonder, Dranouter, Lorient, Milwaukee, Armagh Piping Festival, and at harp festivals throughout Europe and South America. She has performed for Irish Presidents Michael D. Higgins, Mary Robinson, Mary McAleese and for the twenty-five EU Heads of State and Presidents in Dublin. She has represented Ireland with the Irish Embassy in Nigeria, Ghana, Russia, Argentina, and is honoured to have represented Ireland at the World Harp Festival in Paraguay. Laoise has won three All-Ireland Harp competitions and the Waterford Crystal harp at the Belfast Bicentennial Harp Festival 1992. She has featured on numerous TV and radio programs both in Ireland and internationally including RTÉ’s A River of Sound, The Late Late Show, Sult, Eurovision; BBC’s Folkworks UK Harp tour Documentary, Colmcille sessions, and many of TG4’s music programmes Hup!, Fleadh TV, Féilte, Gradam Ceoil, Mná an Ceoil … She recently presented an RTÉ Radio 1 programme of highlights from Viljandi Folk Festival in Estonia where she also performed.In 2020 Laoise was awarded Musician of the year, TG4’s Gradam Ceoil Ceoltóir na bliana.

Don't miss your chance to catchl this amazing all star cast at the Purty Kitchen venue this January as part of Tradfest 2026!

Limited Tickets - Early booking advised**

Tradfest is proudly supported by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council

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