Musical Entertainment 2017
John Whelan
Festival Headliner
with Haley Richardson & Dylan Richardson
From Irish American News: Whelan is the seven (yes, unbelievably seven) time All-Ireland button box champion. Long known on the festival circuit for his flamboyant showmanship, don’t be deceived. We once saw a performance of John’s at the Dublin, Ohio Irish Festival where he was literally dancing on a tabletop while playing with his band. It hit us then, and still does, that with all the craic going on, the performance was still perfect. Make no mistake, this guy is a master musician. He does not receive anything approaching the publicity that certain other trad acts do, yet it is an undisputable fact that he is one of the best selling traditional Irish musicians of all time.
See John's guest appearances, compilation, producing credits, television, and film and theater roles - click here
Kilmaine Saints
"Fronted by County Mayo, Ireland native Brendan, Kilmaine Saints have been firing up Central PA with the kind of whiskey-swilling, hard-dancing, red-cheeked Celtic sets that hangovers were made for. Armed with accordions, tin whistles, bodhrans, fiddles and pipes the Harrisburg collective pummel their way through Irish, Scottish and folk traditionals (and a handful of originals) with fiery punk abandon. Fans of Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly and The Pogues, strap on yer boots and heave a pint in the air-- it's time to delight in the juice of the barley."
- Lancaster Fly Magazine
“Kilmaine Saints is a band formed on good whiskey and bad intentions. The brainchild of two members of a Harrisburg Pipe & Drum band, this side project was originally created with the sole intent of getting them free beer at St Patrick's Day shows in the Central PA area (and might I add - mission accomplished). After incorporating the help of fellow members from the pipe band and other notable musicians from the area, they soon realized they were in for one hell of a ride. Since 2009 they have continued to pound through blistering, high-energy live sets that keep people singing along, stomping their feet, lifting their pints and shouting for more. With several hundred shows at pubs and festivals up and down the East Coast, 2 critically-acclaimed releases under their belts, national and international airplay, and an ever-expanding and extremely loyal fan base, it's no wonder the world is starting to stand up and take notice. In short, the Kilmaine Saints are equal parts Irish swagger, Scottish pride, and whiskey. This explosive Celtic rock band from central PA will steal your heart, your spirit, and your pint when you're not looking.”
Authentic Irish Music,
Songs & Wildly Good Craic
David Gilmore hails from a seaside town north of Dublin called Portmarnock. He was born into a musical family with his Dad firstly being in the two-piece comedy duo Ginger alongside Paul Malone, and then to front international group Bracken for over 30 years.
David started playing guitar at a young age and played around the Dublin pub scene through his college years and beyond. On summer breaks from college he played out in the Cypriot resort of Ayia Napa for three seasons playing in the famous Luke Kelly Irish bar
After college, David headed over to the ever popular resort of Benidorm on Spain's costa Blanca coast. Starting out as a solo act in the harp bar, he went on to join the Benidorm's Irish Rovers. With his role as lead vocalist and guitars, David played alongside this lively 4-piece band for a further seven years. Playing 7 nights a week for their 10-month season, then going on the road for a month tour in the UK.
David went on to hold a 3-year residency with Shane Farrell as the Brayzen Heads at Raglan Road Irish Pub in Downtown Disney.
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Shane Farrell was born in Manchester, England, to Irish parents. His mother Mary hails from County Galway and his father Tom comes from County Cavan. Shane has been performing live concerts since the age of 12 years with a variety of musicians and groups around the world including The Irish Rovers, Charlie & the Bhoys, Lùnasa, The Banshees, The Danny Burns Band, MIchael McGoldrick.
All of Shane's four siblings are multi-talented musicians, holding All-Britain and All-Ireland titles in the various array of instruments they play. Shane's older brother Colin is an accomplished fiddle & whistle player and musician at Raglan Road and member of super-group Lùnasa and American Irish group The Elders. Shane was All Britain Champion on the fiddle, banjo & mandolin on numerous occasions. He has composed many traditional tunes and produced music for many shows and productions, including Ireland's TG4 television channel. To date, Shane has performed live over 4,000 times in Europe, Asia, USA & Australia on many different tours and theater productions promoting Irish traditional music and culture.
The versatile repertoire of Irishtown Road consists of traditional Irish songs and some traditionally arranged original work featuring intricate vocal harmonies and instrumental variety. With two albums to their credit and another in the works, the Adams-York area’s longest-tenured Irish musical group is in their 18th year of performing together. In that time, the band has firmly established themselves as a fixture in the regional Celtic music scene. Irishtown Road enjoys playing year-round to enthusiastic crowds at concerts, festivals, pubs, weddings, wakes, special events and other venues in Pennsylvania and Maryland following the tradition that for each band member can be traced back to their Irish ancestry.
Across the Pond is a multi-instrumental, regional trio performing their own high-octane arrangements of Irish and Scottish tunes and songs. Their music is traditional, but also has a quite modern edge. Finding that special balance is what separates Across the Pond from many other Irish bands. They can capture the audience’s attention and release it until the end of the performance.
They produced their first CD "Kid on the Mountain" in October 2014, and the floodgates opened. They were named as one of the Top 20 Celtic bands in the world for 2014 by Celtic Music Podcaster Marc Gunn. In 2015, they were ranked number 6 nationally and 10th globally by music host Reverbnation, and their CD “Kid on the Mountain” was entered into the Irish Traditional Music Archives in Dublin, Ireland. In 2016, their recording of "I Know My Love" was voted 'Best of Contemporary' for 2015 and inducted into the Celtic Radio Hall of Fame., and “The Arran Boat Set” was nominated in the Traditional Music Category.
They have been performing 90 gigs a year from Virginia Beach to Ontario and Quebec provinces in Canada, and you can find them playing frequently in south-central PA. They are currently working on their 2nd CD.
Pickin' & Grinnin'
Children's Show
Husband and wife team, Ted and Susie Tomalewski, have been entertaining throughout the Four State Area since 2004. Their combination of Appalachian Style clog dancing, guitar and flute playing, fun song singing, joke telling and audience interaction will warm your heart and lift your spirits. They have recently added a Celtic Children's Set for the young and the young at heart. They will have you grinnin' in no time!
Entertainment Schedule
Times subject to change
Main Stage
10:30 - 11:00 Opening Ceremony & Welcome; Stage Announcements
11:30 - 12:30 Across the Pond
1:00 - 2:00 Irishtown Road
2:30 - 3:30 The Brayzen Heads
4:00 - 5:00 John Whelan band
5:30-6:30 Kilmaine Saints
Pavilion
11:00-11:30 Pickin' & Grinnin' Children's Show
12:30-1:00 Pickin' & Grinnin' Children's Show
2:00 - 2:30 Coyle School of Irish Dance
3:30 - 4:00 Coyle School of Irish Dance