John O’Neill Folk and Traditional Music Festival

01/06/2024

💥You are all BRILLIANT💥

Thank you so much to anyone who has shared and voted for us. The vote closes tomorrow night so if you can help by sharing or still need to vote we would be really grateful.

✨WE NEED YOUR HELP✨

We’ve got an incredible opportunity to win £1,000 to help fund our John O’Neill Folk and Traditional Music Festival
but we need your help! All it takes is a quick click on the link below to leave your vote and help us surge ahead in the TicketSource Community Event Fund Competition. Your vote has the potential to advance us to the next stage of the competition. Let’s make it happen!✨✨

TicketSource


We would really appreciate if you could give this a share and pass on to your family and friends. Thank you so much 🎻

https://ticketsource.wishpondpages.com/ticketsource-community-fund-2024/entries/205508125/reference

30/05/2024

✨WE NEED YOUR HELP✨

Only a couple of days left to get voting. Please click the link below and give us a vote if you haven’t already done so. Takes 1 minute. Thank you so much 💚

We’ve got an incredible opportunity to win £1,000 to help fund our John O’Neill Folk and Traditional Music Festival
but we need your help! All it takes is a quick click on the link below to leave your vote and help us surge ahead in the TicketSource Community Event Fund Competition. Your vote has the potential to advance us to the next stage of the competition. Let’s make it happen!✨✨

TicketSource


We would really appreciate if you could give this a share and pass on to your family and friends. Thank you so much 🎻

https://ticketsource.wishpondpages.com/ticketsource-community-fund-2024/entries/205508125/reference

01/05/2024

✨WE NEED YOUR HELP✨

We’ve got an incredible opportunity to win £1,000 to help fund our John O’Neill Folk and Traditional Music Festival
but we need your help! All it takes is a quick click on the link below to leave your vote and help us surge ahead in the TicketSource Community Event Fund Competition. Your vote has the potential to advance us to the next stage of the competition. Let’s make it happen!✨✨

TicketSource


We would really appreciate if you could give this a share and pass on to your family and friends. Thank you so much 🎻

https://ticketsource.wishpondpages.com/ticketsource-community-fund-2024/entries/205508125/reference

28/04/2024

As you’re relaxing on this Sunday afternoon have a listen to this gorgeous version of
Passage West from Niall Hanna Music, Rachel McGarrity and Damian McKee
performing at our 2023 festival 💚

19/04/2024

✨✨Way too excited to keep this news to ourselves✨

A touchstone of great singing tradition, Sean Keane is confirmed as our headline act for Friday 27th September. We are so looking forward to having this legend perform at our festival.

More info to follow soon 🎻

Likes and shares much appreciated ✨

18/04/2024

🔥 NEWS FLASH 🔥

We are thrilled to announce our first big act for our 2024 John O’Neill Festival. Two years in the making and we have finally nailed this amazing group.

LUNASA will take to the stage at our festival on Saturday 28th September 2024.

Save the date - more details to follow shortly ☘️

Enjoy this clip from our Friday night finale from last year’s festival featuring Deanta and Niall Hanna Music. Deanta play at Antrim Fleadh, Portglenone CCE tomorrow night ☘️

11/04/2024

✨✨✨✨

Great writeup in the Irish Times about Leonard Barry, Uillean Piper from Co Kerry. Brilliant to have Leonard, Michael McGoldrick Music, Andy Morrow and Seamie O'Dowd performing at Hill of The O Neill & Ranfurly House.

📅 Saturday 27th April
🏨 Ranfurly House, Dungannon
🎟️ Tickets from following link;

https://dungannon.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873657928

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/2024/04/11/were-lucky-in-irish-music-that-players-we-look-up-to-and-have-listened-to-all-our-lives-are-so-accessible-its-pretty-unique/

31/08/2023

💥Meet the Tutors💥
KIERAN LEONARD - Bodhran

Kieran Leonard is a professional Drummer, Percussionist and Bodhrán specialist from Enniskillen, Co.Fermanagh. Obtaining both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance, London, he has been incredibly fortunate to have enjoyed a fruitful and rewarding freelance career throughout the last 10 years, working with numerous ensembles both in the UK & Ireland. He has been exposed to a great variety of repertoire with extensive experience in the symphonic, operatic and contemporary genres as well as the recording studio, being credited on multiple film soundtracks.

As a session musician, Kieran has shared the stage with many notable groups across multiple genres ranging from ‘Take That’ in the 02 Arena, London, to ‘Clannad’ & their ‘Once In A Lifetime’ Farewell show in the 3Arena, Dublin, as well as Michael Ball & Alexandra Burke on London’s West End. For the last 5 years, he has held the drum chair with the Grammy nominated group, ‘Celtic Woman’, whilst also drumming with internationally renowned vocalists Chloë Agnew and Moya Brennan. Other professional engagements include Stockton’s Wing, The Brave Collide, Ralph McTell, Four Men and a Dog, Goitse, The XCollective, Shiv and Ryan Molloy, with Guest Principal roles in the, English National Opera, Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Ulster Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra (formerly RTÉNSO). More recently, along with musicians David Doocey, Stephen Doherty & Ryan Molloy, Kieran co-founded the traditional Irish quartet, NxNW (North by Northwest).

Regarded as one of the worlds leading exponents of the Bodhrán, Kieran has had the honour of using this drum in some of the most prestigious musical settings possible. His solo film credits include, Academy Award winning composer John Powell’s ‘How to Train Your Dragon 2’ soundtrack (Air Lyndhurst), Thomas Newman's 'Victoria & Abdul' (Abbey Road), ’How To Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World’ John Powell (Abbey Road), with live recordings including ‘Lost: In Concert’ with composer Michael Giacchino. Having featured on BBC, ITV, RTË, TG4 and PBS television, Kieran now operates his own recording studio in Enniskillen, Co.Fermanagh working with an array of artists and composers around the globe. You can hear his playing on multiple records and albums as well as in video games, TV and film, with specific features on BBC & Netflix.

Kieran endorses Metloef Bodhráns, Protection Racket Cases, Vater Percussion Sticks & Falconwood Bodhrán Sticks.

http://ticketsource.co.uk/jonfest

30/08/2023

🎶 🎻 🪕
SESSION TRAIL details coming soon 🎶🎻🪕

In the meantime enjoy this clip of some of the finest musicians in action in Hayden’s Bar where the 🔥Festival Club🔥
will take place on 23rd September with amazing musicians NxNW (North by NorthWest). The band’s keyboard player, local musician Ryan Molloy, says,

“I cannot wait for our band to take to the stage in Hayden’s. It will be a great nights music and craic. Maybe we will entice some of ‘the dogs’ to join us for a few tunes. I've never had a bad night in Hayden's yet and I'm going to make damn sure this one isn't going to change that. Cathal has promised me the first dance so it's already shaping up to be a good'un!"😄

Tickets are limited for the launch of this new event and can be purchased from the following link:

http://ticketsource.co.uk/jonfest

30/08/2023

💥Meet the Tutors💥
MEABH SMYTH - Fiddle

Armagh native Méabh Smyth has been playing the fiddle from the age of 7 and is the current TG4 Gradam Ceoil Ceoltóir Óg na Bliana. She is one of many talented young musicians to emerge from the Armagh Pipers Club in recent years. Coming from a musical family, she was inspired by the fiery, rhythmic fiddle playing native to South Ulster and Donegal and she has since developed her own unique style. A distinguished soloist, she was the inaugural Ed Reavy Fiddle Player of the Year as well as being crowned the Fiddler of London 2021. She was a featured soloist in the recent TG4 documentary series, Sruth, exploring the links between young Irish and Scottish musicians.

http://ticketsource.co.uk/jonfest

29/08/2023

Cannot wait to have these guys play live in Donaghmore on 23rd September 🎶🎻🪕😍

A few tickets still available online at

http://ticketsource.co.uk/jonfest

29/08/2023

💥Meet the Tutors💥
DAVID DOOCEY - Fiddle

David Doocey

Born in Worcester, Massachusetts now living in Foxford, County Mayo, David is at the forefront of his generation of musicians. He has won several awards including All-Ireland medals on both fiddle and concertina, the first ever World Fleadh fiddle championship in 2005 and the much coveted Feile Oriel trophy. As a highly sought after studio musician his music can be heard on many recordings and he has recorded in Nashville with Grammy award winners Tim O’Brien and Allison Brown. As a composer his music can be heard on Lunasa’s highly successful latest release, ‘Cas’. In 2021 David was commissioned to write music for the New Music of Mayo project by the Linenhall Theatre.

David has performed and collaborated with many artists such as Lunasa, Roesy, Dervish, Tim O’Brien, Dougie MacLean, Emmylou Harris, Joan Baez, Buddy Miller, Steve Earle and Robert Plant.

He has several Irish and international television and radio appearances to his credit including ‘Geantraí’, B.B.C’s Blas Ceoil, RTE’s Fleadh Cheoil programme, and is featured on Des Bishop’s live d.v.d “desfunctional” which was filmed at the Roisín Dubh in Galway.He is also featured on Sean Keane’s new live dvd. He has toured throughout Asia, Europe, America, Australia and New Zealand. David also teaches and can be found at the annual Willie Clancy Summer School in Milltown Malbay every year in County Clare. He has toured with the international dance shows Ragús and Irish Legends. He was a member of the band Gráda and the Dave Munnelly Band. He can be seen performing regularly with his new band Blás. Of late he has become a regular member of Sean & Dolores Keane’s Band and performs regularly with Finbar Furey. In 2019 David became a member of the cast of Constance, a theatre production commissioned by the Hawkswell featuring original music set to the poetry of Countess Markievicz. In the same year he co-founded the exciting fourpiece NxNW (North by Northwest).

Bookings for workshops through following link:

http://ticketsource.co.uk/jonfest

28/08/2023

💥Meet the Tutors💥
CLODAGH HOLLAND - Tin Whistle

Clodagh is from Dungannon Co. Tyrone and is an All Ireland Fleadh champion on whistle and is also a seasoned flute player. She started playing music at a young age, and with parents who had a passion for traditional Irish music who took her to festivals and workshops throughout the island of Ireland.

Clodagh is now based in Derry City and enjoys playing at sessions and festivals. Her most recent project was her participation in the IMBOLC Orchestra in which she shared the stage with musical hero’s of hers, Four Men and A Dog in the beautiful Guildhall, Derry.

Clodagh is a passionate music teacher with over 15 years teaching experience and has recently had some of her pupils compete in the All Ireland Fleadh in both lively and slow air competitions.

Limited workshop spaces available.

Book through following link:

http://ticketsource.co.uk/jonfest

26/08/2023

🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

Our friends in the folk/rock music world support John O’Neill Festival. Thank you More Power To Your Elbow, The Whistlin' Donkeys, All Folk'd Up, The Knockmore, Malachi Cush Official, Together for Damian



http://ticketsource.co.uk/jonfest

26/08/2023

💥Meet the Tutors💥
MARY DILLON - Traditional singing

Mary Dillon is a folk singer who comes from a well respected musical family in Dungiven, Co Derry. Rightly proud of those roots, Mary developed an early love for local songs and was soon winning All Ireland singing competitions. She became the vocalist in Déanta, one of the country’s most iconic traditional groups in the 80ies and 90ies, recording 3 albums with the band.

In more recent times Mary was part of Sí Van, an a ca****la project with Niamh Parsons and Tiona McSherry. In 2023 she performed at the Belfast Trad Festival in a reunion gig with Déanta. Currently Mary teaches traditional singing to a local Comhaltas group.

Mary Dillon

http://ticketsource.co.uk/jonfest

25/08/2023

✨✨✨✨✨
The winner of our competition for four tickets to the festival and £30 bar tab is Sharon Farley.
Congratulations Sharon. Thank you very much to everyone who tagged and shared 🎻

With only a few weeks to go until the big weekend, we are giving away 4 TICKETS plus £30 BAR TAB for the John O’Neill Folk and Traditional Music Festival. All you have to do for your chance to win is;

- like our page
- tag 2 friends
- share this post

💥Four Men and a Dog 💥Deanta 💥 Malachi Cush & friends 💥 Niall Hanna, Damian McKee & Rachel McGarrity 💥 Lynette Fay 💥 NxNW 💥 Music Workshops 💥 Session Trail 💥

Draw will take place on Friday 25th August ‘23.

Thank you, can’t wait to see you all there.

Tickets for festival available from :

http://ticketsource.co.uk/jonfest

25/08/2023

💥Meet the tutors💥
OISíN MCCANN - Guitar

Hailing from Warrenpoint in County Down, Oisín has had a passion for traditional music from an early age. Having started the bodhrán at the age of 5, and from there progressed onto the whistle, flute, piano, guitar, and uilleann pipes learning most of his music through his local branch of Comhaltas in Warrenpoint and the famous Armagh Pipers Club.

Oisín has recently completed his degree in Traditional Music in the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow and is a regular on the session scene around the city. He started performing publicly from the age of 13 and since then has performed at many different festivals and concerts as well as making numerous radio and TV appearances. He can now be seen regularly performing with high profile artists such as Gerry O’Connor, Paddy Callaghan, Peter Corry, and is a member of Scottish Trad band “Rhuvaal” and “The Grit Orchestra” under the direction of Greg Lawson.

Oisín McCann

http://ticketsource.co.uk/jonfest

24/08/2023

💥Meet the Tutors💥

DEIRDRE HAVLIN - Flute

Deirdre Havlin is one of Ireland’s most accomplished flute and whistle players. Her playing is characterised by her vibrant and ornate style accompanied by a mighty tone. Earlier in her career she won 7 all Ireland titles on flute and whistle and was a member of several Comhaltas tours travelling though-out England, USA and Canada.

Deirdre was a leading member with the critically acclaimed bands, Déanta and The London Lasses. Déanta toured extensively throughout the USA and Europe becoming established members of the traditional music scene. Deirdre went on to join renowned traditional Irish band, The London Lasses and Pete Quinn before recording, releasing and touring the band’s second album ‘Track Across the Deep’ in 2003, she also recorded on The Lasses’ 3rd album ‘Enchanted Lady’ in 2007. She has also played on their new album realised this year. Highlights of Deirdre’s time with the band include touring the UK, Ireland, the USA and Germany, as well as a memorable performance on the Acoustic Stage a Glastonbury Festival.

Today Deirdre is the prime organiser of the Causeway Sessions on the north coast of Ireland, promoting traditional music in the area. She teaches whistle and flute at North Coast Trad Music School which provides weekly music classes in the community for all ages and abilities.

http://ticketsource.co.uk/jonfest

23/08/2023

22/08/2023

🔥NEWS FLASH🔥

Festival Club has been added to our weekend events 🎻🪗🕺

Get yourself to Hayden’s Bar, The Rock for some serious after party entertainment by the brilliant NxNW on Saturday 23rd September 11pm to late.

Limited number of tickets available, £12 per ticket - can be purchased online at:

http://ticketsource.co.uk/jonfest

Ryan Molloy, David Doocey
NXNW Ireland, Kieran Leonard
Stephen Hayden, Four Men and a dog, Donal Murphy, Stephen Doherty, Malachi Cush

https://youtu.be/g-5UhNj6tXU

Formed in 2019 NxNW are a modern four piece comprising of some of Ireland’s leading musicians. Ryan Molloy (piano & Keys), David Doocey (fiddle & strings), S...

19/08/2023

Cheers to these fabulous musicians for supporting John O’Neill Festival 🤩🤩

Four Men and a dog
Donal O'Connor, Jack Warnock
Sinéad Nic Cionnaith, John Doyle, Annie Smyth, Joanie Madden, Mark Mohan,
Goretti O'Connor, Gino Lupari
Donal Murphy, Stephen Hayden

18/08/2023

Congratulations and best of luck Malachi Cush Official on your new show 🤩

17/08/2023

With only a few weeks to go until the big weekend, we are giving away 4 TICKETS plus £30 BAR TAB for the John O’Neill Folk and Traditional Music Festival. All you have to do for your chance to win is;

- like our page
- tag 2 friends
- share this post

💥Four Men and a Dog 💥Deanta 💥 Malachi Cush & friends 💥 Niall Hanna, Damian McKee & Rachel McGarrity 💥 Lynette Fay 💥 NxNW 💥 Music Workshops 💥 Session Trail 💥

Draw will take place on Friday 25th August ‘23.

Thank you, can’t wait to see you all there.

Tickets for festival available from :

http://ticketsource.co.uk/jonfest

16/08/2023

Malachi Cush performing a gorgeous song he wrote called The Accordion Man. Malachi and friends are set to play the festival on Saturday 23rd September. Also taking to the stage that night will be Four Men and a Dog with a blast of tunes and songs.

Four Men and a dog
Malachi Cush
Niall Hanna Music
Mary Dillon

Tickets can be purchased at :
http://ticketsource.co.uk/jonfest

14/08/2023

Cathal Hayden, Ryan Molloy and Donnell Leahy giving a powerful performance on Fleadh tv lastnight. Cathal and Ryan are among many top musicians and singers taking part throughout our festival weekend.
TIckets are selling fast and can be purchased at :

http://ticketsource.co.uk/jonfest

10/08/2023

So excited to announce the full list of tutors for our workshops on Saturday 23rd September. They are some of the top names in traditional Irish music and song.
To join the workshops please click on the link below.

http://ticketsource.co.uk/jonfest

We would be very grateful for any likes and shares.

09/08/2023

We are delighted to announce the singing tutor for our workshops will be Mary Dillon. Mary has the most gorgeous traditional voice and will perform alongside her band Deanta at our festival on Friday 22nd September.

Our workshops will go on sale tomorrow. More information to follow.

Tickets for all events can be purchased at :
http://ticketsource.co.uk/jonfest

https://youth.be/vFmbvthv_Kg

Provided to YouTube by IIP-DDSJohn Condon · Mary DillonJohn Condon℗ Back Lane RecordsReleased on: 1998-07-06Music Publisher: Copyright ControlComposer: Unkn...

07/08/2023

Delighted to have these two fiddle maestros back to our festival in September. A clip from last years festival with Seamy O’Dowd. This year Cathal and Stephen Hayden will be on stage with their highly acclaimed band Four Men and a dog. A night not to be missed.

Tickets are selling fast and can be purchased online at
http://ticketsource.co.uk/jonfest

06/08/2023

What an amazing tribute to these two fantastic singers.
So looking forward to viewing the full collection which are specifically created for this year’s festival 🤩

Really enjoying working on this piece. The McDonald Brothers, John and the late Hugh Pat (rip) in song at Dalys bar. Sometime around the early 80s.
Oil on Canvas.
The finished painting will be showing as part of a new solo exhibition called Keeper of the Flame and part of the John O'Neill Folk and Traditional Music Festival. Opening Friday 22nd September 2023.

05/08/2023

From last year’s festival - Breaking Trad and the gorgeous voice of Mike Galvin. We have Donal Murphy playing with
Four Men and a dog on Sat 23rd this year. Will be a mighty night of music and craic.
Tickets can be purchased online at

http://ticketsource.co.uk/jonfest