Following the release of their 2011 album Idir, At First Light (John McSherry, Francis McIlduff, Dónal O’Connor with Ciara McCrickard) have announced some forthcoming performances and various projects they are working on collectively and individually.

They have recently played in France, Italy, Germany, Slovenia and Scotland, but in October they will have their first tour of the North of Ireland for some time visiting Strabane, Limavady, Downpatrick and Belfast. They will be giving workshops in Strabane, Co. Tyrone on 27 October as part of the Johnny Crampsie festival.

4 October: Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast, Co. Antrim.
7 October: Down Arts Centre, Downpatrick, Co. Down.
12 October: Roe Valley Arts Centre, Limavaddy, Co. Derry.
27 October: The Alley Theatre, Strabane, Co. Tyrone.

In November they will be playing at the William Kennedy Piping Festival in Armagh (along with acts such as Seudan, Distil Ancience, the Mick O’Brien Trio, Topanga, Ioscaid, fiddle and pipes duet Chris Stout and Finlay MacDonald, piper Ronan Browne, Karan Casey, Buille, Jarlath Henderson, piper Rory Campbell from Deaf Shepherd and locally based groups Realta, Cúig and Sioda, as well as the Armagh Pipers Club Big Band.

McSherry and O’Connor were recently commissioned to compose the title music for a new TV programme called ‘Amhráin Aduaidh’ which will feature singers from the Ulster song tradition including McCrickard. The series will broadcast by TG4 in the autumn. McIlduff is currently completing a solo CD. O’Connor has been producing Belfast singer songwriter Jim Rainey’s first solo release, and has mixed a CD for a new group called Realta.

The group took part in an episode of TG4’s Geantraí which was recorded in Carlingford, Co. Louth and which features Zoe Conway and John McIntyre, Pádraigín NíUallacháin and Macdara O’hUallachain Graham, Síoda and Stevie Dunne. The programme was also presented by O’Connor and will be broadcast in early 2013.

McSherry has been preparing a publication of his compositions which is due for release in Spring 2013. He has also been finishing off an album with Tyler Duncan and Michael Shimmin which is due for release by Compass records on 25 September.

atfirstlight.net.