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About
Multi-award winning trio Alfi is the collaborative project of musicians Fiachra Meek, Ryan McAuley and Alannah Thornburgh. Featuring an unusual line-up of harp, five string banjo and uilleann pipes, Alfi explores a combination of traditional Irish and Appalachian old-time music and song. Alfi released their debut album ‘Say Old Man’ in July 2023 to great critical acclaim - ‘with an experimental edge, and a brazen, madcap energy, Irish trio Alfi have carved out their own path, by exploring the connections and the contrasts between the folk traditions of Ireland and America’ (Hot Press). Nominated for ‘Best Emerging Folk Artist’ at the RTÉ Folk Awards, Alfi have also received numerous accolades including the ‘US Embassy Creative Minds Award’, The ‘Caoimhin O Dochartaigh Award’ at Imbolc International Music Festival and Molloy Award at “Birmingham TradFest”.
Chiselled from the wilds of the raw and rugged West of Ireland, comes the freshest sound this side of the Atlantic. Billow Wood, create a modern magic with their original fusion of folk, traditional Irish music and indie pop rock. Mark O’Donnell, Ciara O’Donnell, Harry Lawlor and Bríd O’Donnell are multi-instrumentalists and multi-vocalists who specialise in harmonies. Coupled with the mastery of their instruments including the harp, fiddle, flute, tin whistle and accordion, they have an uplifting vibe deeply rooted in trad but with modern, folk and pop influences. Their sound is a juxtaposition of rich delicacy and vigour as this quirky quartet has a way of maintaining the traditional, yet; still giving their sound a fresh and original twist.
POKA is a newly formed girl band who met in the Irish World Academy in the University of Limerick studying the BA in Irish music. They’re music consists of a traditional Irish fusion style, all while keeping the old tradition alive. The band members all come from different places including Róisín King from Galway, Aoibhe Kettle from Laois, Annalise Whyte from Armagh, Caoimhe Moran from Wexford, and Caitlin Donnelly from Manchester.