The Weekend Overview
Friday August 14th
Official Opening: The Shambles Community Space, Mary Street
6.30 p.m.
Friday evening recital
This brings a great line up of old friends of the original Féile John Dwyer back to open the revived and relocated festival.
Ros Mhic Treoin will enjoy a double recital with :
Séamus Sands (Fiddle) and Pádraig MacAogháin (concertina) with guest Nicola Stathers (uilleann pipes)
Mick Kinsella (mouth organ) and Steve Larkin (fiddle) with special guest Josephine Marsh (button accordion)
Venue: Upstairs Function Room, Spider O'Brien's, South Street
Friday Aug. 14th 7.30 p.m.
Admission: : €10 (adult) / €20 (family ticket – 2 adults + children F.O.C)
Saturday August 15th
Saturday workshops hosted by Trad House New Ross
Please see detailed listings in Workshop overview below
Saturday afternoon outdoor performances
Enjoy a leisurely afternoon exploring historic New Ross and listening to local performing groups - young and old - performing in the town's wonderful outdoor performance spaces including:
- JFK statue at New Ross Bridge
- High Hill public space
- The historic Shambles
- The beautiful dedicated performance space at Brennan's Lane
- Courtyard at St. Michael's Theatre
- The Emigrant Flame at Dunbrody famine Ship visitor's centre
(all weather permitting - alternative indoor spaces are reserved in the event of inclement weather)
For details of the schedule for the outdoor performances click
Singing Session: traditional singers from throughout the region gather to listen and perform wonderful ballads in the informal setting of a cozy pub. This year's gathering takes place in The Rag Pub, Conduit Lane on Saturday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday evening recital
The Saturday evening recital features three lineups, each focused on particular tune selections.
John Redmond (accordion) and Dave Sheridan (fiddle) will perform a selection including some of John Redmond’s compositions as featured in The Wexford Tunebook (2024). They are joined on guitar by Fergal O' Hanlon
Edel Fox (concertina) and Neil Byrne (fiddle) will perform a selection of the wonderful traditional compositions of John Dwyer
Kevin Rowsome (uilleann pipes) and Steve Larkin (fiddle) will present a performance of old Wexford tunes gleaned from The Feis Ceoil Collection of Irish Airs (1914) and from the Kilmore manuscript collection, as published in The Wexford Tunebook (2024)
Venue: Upstairs Function Room, Spider O'Brien's, South Street
Saturday Aug. 15th 7.30 p.m.
Admission: €10 (adult) / €20 (family ticket – 2 adults + children F.O.C)
Friday evening, Saturday afternoon and evening and Sunday morning will also feature informal pub sessions of Irish traditional music.
For details of pub sessions click the link below:
Sunday August 16th
Sunday afternoon : Set dancing céilí - dancing to The Ballyellis Céilí Band led by Pat Bass
Venue: Upstairs Function Room, Spider O'Brien's, South Street
Sunday Aug. 16th 3 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Admission: €10 (adult) / €5 (under 18 accompanied by adult)
Farewell Session and BBQ
Sunday Aug. 16th from 6.30 p.m.
Venue: Covered outdoor beer garden, Spider O'Brien's , South Street.
Free admission. Performers food provided. Non-musicians may purchase BBQ food at the event.
Workshops - hosted by Trad House New Ross
Workshops - Improvers workshops on Saturday morning in St. Mary's Secondary School (Y34 XR63)
Introduction to Set dancing Workshop with Liz Hand - Spider O'Brien's Function Room
Advanced workshops on Saturday early evening in Dunbrody Centre/YMCA hall.
- Improvers Workshop in fiddle with tutor Séamus Sands
- Improvers Workshop in button accordion with tutor Michael Curran
- Improvers Workshop in concertina with tutor Pádraig MacAodhgáin
- Improvers Workshop in harp with tutor Jill Devlin
- Improvers Workshop in flute OR tin whistle with James McCaffrey
- Improvers Workshop in banjo with tutor Pat Bass
- Workshop in traditional singing agus amhránaíocht with Éire agus Cú Chulainn Ó Faoláin
- Introduction to Set dancing with Liz Hand
- Advanced Workshop in the compositions of John Dwyer with Edel Fox and Neil Byrne (note: Saturday early EVENING)
- Advanced Workshop in traditional tune composition with Josephine Marsh (note: Saturday early EVENING)