This year saw the emergence of a new festival for Kilkenny city, taking place over the St Brígíds weekend (known to some as Imbolc).
The festival featuring live music for the duration of the weekend from Friday to Sunday consisting of a free music trail throughout the city in various pubs & venues and then on the Saturday & Sunday some larger shows in the shape of paid events.
First up on the paid shows was the wonderful Clara Tracey who hails from County Fermanagh (Northern Ireland ) playing at Billy Byrnes Gastro Bar & Venue. Clara moved to France in her early twenties where she discovered her passion for song-writing. In 2022 she released her critically acclaim album ‘Black Forest’.
She is equally at ease with either her full band behind her or solo on the piano, which was the way she opening her show, choosing to play a number of songs solo before her band joined her. I had read somewhere that her shows are surprising and memorable and that was no lie as the soundscapes that filled the room were just wonderful and mesmerising, leaving all that were there in no doth that Clara is one to see again!
Clara Tracy photos:
For the second show of the night it was off to Ryan’s Bar ( the home to great music) and that was to see singer-songwriter Conchúr White from county Armagh (Northern Ireland) who has release a couple of Eps ( ‘Bikini Crops’ / ‘Dreamers’) and then his album ‘Swirling Violets’ through the Bella Union label.
Conchúr held the audience in his hands from start to finish not only with his songs, but also with so very witty anecdotes throughout the set, which saw Conchúr playing mostly acoustic guitar, but for a couple of songs nearer the sets end he switched to the keys and then back to the guitar.
Conchúr White photos:
So the final show of the night arrived and the being Galway native (Ireland) Niamh Regan who back in 2020 announced her arrival as one of the most distinctive songwriters in Ireland today with her debut album Hemet through Black Gate Records.
The show was taking place at Cleere’s Bar & Theatre another of Kilkenny’s prominent music venues, when I got there the room was already packed as the show was sold-out and the support were just finishing (Sorry blame Conchúr on that as I couldn’t walk out of his set)
Niamh took to the stage shortly after the support ( who incidentally was Seba Safe) and quickly got into her set which started of white her on the acoustic guitar for a number of songs, then switching to the electric which she informed the crowd was a relatively new experience for her and the second album will feature more of.
She also played a number of tunes on the keys in the set and I think everyone that was there left at the end of the night wanting more, but unfortunately good things have to end as they say.
Niamh Regan photo:
Main header photos – supplied by St Brígíds Music & Arts Festival