Entertainment

Father, Son & Friends

In 1989, Joey (Father) and Shawn (Son) started a band with their friends. Over the last 30 years they have played their brand of Celtic/Americana Folk Music at festivals, theaters and pubs all across the country. Finding themselves incredibly fortunate to have played on the Mumford and Sons, Gentleman Of The Road Tour and having received an Irish Music Award Nomination for "Top Traditional Band in a Festival, Theatre, Pub". Currently, Father Son and Friends can be heard on countless radio stations and television programs/documentaries including The American Woodshop on PBS.

The Prodigals

The Prodigals are one of the iconic Celtic rock bands. They have released ten albums, the most recent in 2022, and have headlined major venues across the United States and Ireland.

The Prodigals' sound retains authentic Irish traditional melodic roots, while embracing eclectic world rhythms infused with NYC energy.

Venues have ranged from Madison Square Garden, Lincoln Center, and Webster Hall in New York, to the House of Blues in Las Vegas, Cleveland, and Boston, to Whelan's in Dublin and Dolan's Warehouse in Limerick; festival appearances range from the Guinness Fleadh, to Music Midtown Atlanta, to the Dublin, Milwaukee, Austin, Chicago, Michigan and Montana Irish Festivals, and many more.

The New Barleycorn

The New Barleycorn is a traditional Celtic band who brings an authentic, traditional feel to every show. They present their live Celtic show with vitality, passion and a touch of humor, singing and playing both contemporary folk and traditional Celtic songs and music, which they have woven into their own musical tapestry of intricate rhythms and melodies. Both from Ireland where they learned to play music at an early age , John Delaney, originally from the group 'Barleycorn,' on vocals, 5 string and tenor banjos, mandolin, guitar, whistle and bodhran, and Alec DeGabriele, originally leader for a top Irish Show Band, on vocals, guitar and bass. Alec and John have performed live and on many television and radio shows, both together and separately in such places as Ireland, U.S.A., Canada, Australia, and the U.K.' They have played at local pubs around Northeast Ohio, organized performance tours in both Ireland and Scotland, and this winter performed on a Caribbean Cruise

Andrew McManus Trio

Andrew McManus, Mark Whalen Jr and Tessa Thistlethwaite make up the Andrew McManus Trio. Andrew a singer-songwriter from Armagh, Northern Ireland. Growing up at the tail-end of the Troubles near the ancient Celtic site of Emain Macha, Andrew was heavily influenced by the local myths and legends of Irish literature that were set there; the tales of Cú Chulainn, Queen Macha, and the epic saga of the Táin Bó Cúailnge. These stories deeply inspired his creativity and a love for Irish folk tunes which led him to producing artwork and music with a distinctly Celtic and ethereal quality.

Andrew has played music throughout his entire life. He was a member of the South Ulster Youth Orchestra, sang in the St. Patrick's Cathedral Armagh choir, and has performed as a solo acoustic singer-songwriter in pubs and coffee shops around Ireland and England.

The Kilroys

The Kilroys have been playing traditional Irish music in the city of Cleveland and throughout the Midwest for the past 30 years. Their music blends rock, acoustic melodies, and electronic to create a unique sound with accordion, fiddle, banjo, guitar, bouzuki, bagpipes, and ulliean pipes. They sing about the excitement of traveling alone, young love, and getting older.

7 Nations

Equally at home in front of 40,000 cheering fans at an international festival, with the widely recognized, Grammy award winning, symphony orchestras, or with 300 fans in a small Midwest club, SEVEN NATIONS has created a truly hybrid sound and transient live show. The depth and complexity of SEVEN NATIONS' music is astounding, each listen reveals a deeper layer of intricacy that has been embraced by an ever growing audience. "We are lucky," says McLeod, lead singer/songwriter and founding member of the band, "because we come from two unique cultures. We love American pop and rock and roll, but we also love our Celtic roots. We want to touch everybody with our music," he continues, "and so far, we have been very, very fortunate."

Eimear Arkins and Eileen Gannon

Eimear Arkins and Eileen Gannon have been lighting up the Irish music scene in St. Louis for the past several years. They have played numerous sold-out shows across the midwest and beyond.

Eimear is an award-winning singer and fiddle player from County Clare with eleven solo Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann (World Irish Music Championships) titles to her credit. She has performed throughout the US and Ireland with acclaimed bands like Cherish The Ladies, Téada, and The Paul Brock Band. She has toured extensively with Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann in Ireland, Britain, North America and Canada. Eimear's debut CD, What's Next? was released in summer 2019 to great acclaim and she was named “Best Newcomer” by LiveIreland 2019. Most recently, Eimear has been awarded an artist fellowship from the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis.

Eileen, a St. Louis native, is one of the top Irish harp players in the world. She has won numerous accolades including the highly coveted Senior Harp title at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. She has a bachelor's degree in Music Performance from St. Louis University and a master's degree in Ethnomusicology from University of Limerick. Eileen launched her debut solo CD, The Glory Days Are Over, to great acclaim in the summer of 2017.

Eileen and Eimear are both tutors at St. Louis Irish Arts and have been guest artists at numerous festivals throughout the world, including Feile Seamus Creagh, Newfoundland; Catskills Irish Arts Week, New York; World Expo 2015, Milan; Viljandi Pärimusmuusika Festival, Estonia; St. Louis Tionól; Canadian Celtic Celebration, Canada; O'Flaherty Retreat, Texas and Festival Interceltique de Lorient, France

Together they will perform a beautiful blend of haunting harp melodies, sean-nós songs, and plenty toe-tapping dance tunes!

Nikki Custy and Samantha McNamara

Nikki Custy and Samantha McNamara are based in Cleveland Ohio. They play an exciting blend of music from old traditional ballads to original songs and modern covers and their driving tunes will make you want to get up and dance. They currently perform all around the Northeast Ohio region and are looking forward to visiting new cities and broadening their audiences in 2023!

Nikki Custy

Voice and Guitar

Nikki is an extremely talented multi-instrumentalist that can be heard all around Cleveland. She grew up in Akron playing fiddle at her local Hibernian club. Then she honed her Irish fiddle talents in the pubs of County Clare, Ireland while studying abroad. She has performed as a master fiddler with numerous Celtic bands including Pitch the Peat, Brace Yourself Bridget, and Lia Fail. Her depth of knowledge of the music really shines when you hear her back Samantha’s tunes. However, as the lead singer in Custy and McNamara she gets to shine on guitar and vocals.

Samantha McNamara

Fiddle and Vocals

Samantha has been a violin performer and educator for many years. She is the founder of the McNamara School of Irish Music, and is a sought after Irish music performer. She can be routinely heard playing the fiddle at feiseanna all across the United States, on the radio, at pubs locally in northeast Ohio or anywhere that Irish music is appreciated. She combines an innate sensitivity to the instrument, that has been forming since she began playing at age 5, with a passion for traditional Irish music that is all too evident in her playing. The combination of tasteful but lively music is the hallmark of Samantha's playing that keeps the audience's toes tapping, and the spirit of traditional Irish music alive.

Brady-Campbell School of Irish Dance

For more information please visit our website at http://bradycampbellirishdanceschool.com/.

Lenaghan School of Irish Dance

The Leneghan Academy, under the direction of Catherine Leneghan Fox, is celebrating it's 30th year of Irish Dance instruction in the Cleveland area. The studio holds classes in Euclid, Parma Hts and Westlake. Dancers have opportunities to train for fun and fitness, for performance and for competition.

Leneghan Academy has been successful nationally and internationally and is well known locally for exciting performances. If you know anyone who would like to join our school please visit our website at www.leneghanacademy.com or see anyone at the side of the stage for information.

Royal Scottish Country Dance, Cleveland Heights Group

The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (RSCDS) exists to promote and develop Scottish Country Dancing worldwide for the benefit of present and future generations. Our dedicated and passionate membership community aims to promote traditional Scottish Country Dance and Music for current and future generations to enjoy, and are always welcoming to new dancers. To get in touch and inquire about dancing, membership or any of our events please email [email protected] or call the RSCDS office.

For more information please visit our website: www.rscds.org or contact RSCD Cleveland Hts Group President Kathleen Bohn at [email protected]