Ye Vagabonds
Strange Boy
Cathal McConnell’s Variations with Nuala Kennedy, Tara Breen and Tony Byrne
The John Field Rooms Sessions

Ye Vagabonds lead a takeover of NCH by Ireland’s most exciting new folk and traditional artists.

Ye Vagabonds is a folk music duo composed of brothers Brían and Diarmuid Mac Gloinn who grew up playing music together around their hometown of Carlow. After moving to Dublin in 2012, they quickly became a staple of the live music and session scene in Ireland, playing their own original songs as well as folk songs from Ireland, Scotland, England, and America.

After a chance meeting at Electric Picnic in September 2015, the brothers performed onstage with Glen Hansard, who invited them to open for him on his European tour the following October. Since then, they have been busy touring Ireland, the UK and Europe, opening for acts such as Villagers, Roy Harper and Lisa Hannigan. They have played sold out headline shows in Ireland, France, Switzerland and the UK. In October 2017 they launched their debut, self-titled album to great acclaim. “Ye Vagabonds” comprises of harmony rich folk music, influenced by Irish traditional music, Appalachian singing, and the 1960's folk revival. Their second album ‘The Hare’s Lament’ was released on 22nd March 2019 to huge critical acclaim. In 2019 they won the BBC Radio Two Folk Award for Best Traditional Track, and they swept the boards at the RTÉ Radio One Folk Awards where they won Best Traditional Track, Best Group, and Best Album. Their third album, ‘Nine Waves’ features 11 tracks of both original and traditional songs and tunes and won Best Album at the 2022 RTÉ Radio One Folk Awards. It was released on Rough Trade’s River Lea label on May 13th 2022. It was produced by John ‘Spud’ Murphy and recorded in the Dublin Mountains at Hellfire Studios.

Strange Boy: A 1000-year-old poet, his essence flowing through the vessel of a young man from Limerick. With his impactful and thought-provoking lyrics, he stands as one of the most significant contemporary rappers. Strange Boy artfully combines hip-hop and Irish traditional music, seamlessly blending the timeless cultural influences of this nation. His debut album, HOLY / UNHOLY, produced by the esteemed Enda Gallery in Kilfenora, Co. Clare, released on June 25th through Welcome to the New World, features the soulful voice of Grammy award-winning Clannad vocalist, Moya Brennan. This opus garnered extraordinary critical acclaim, with Hot Press recognizing it among the top six global hip-hop albums of 2021. Nialler9 and District Magazine also ranked it among the top six Irish albums of the year, while District Magazine hailed him as a "national treasure." He presents new work developed as part of his residency at NCH supported by the Liam O’Flynn Award.

Fermanagh’s legendary singer & flute player Cathal McConnell of The Boys of the Lough, supported by his protégé singer & flute player Nuala Kennedy, with Clare fiddle maestro Tara Breen and Dublin guitarist Tony Byrne. Cathal will discuss and perform some of his uniquely creative ‘variations’ on traditional tunes, and talk about his life in music. Opening set features songs from 'Shorelines' the new recording by Nuala Kennedy, with Tara Breen and Tony Byrne.

Tradition Now is an initiative of the National Concert Hall & Arts Council & supported by The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.