Acclaimed musicians Laoise Kelly (harp) and John Hoban (fiddle, mando-cello, song and more) present a performance of traditional music and song online from the Linenhall Arts Centre. This performance will be available to view free of charge on Thursday 27 May and Saturday 29 May from 2:00pm to 7:00pm, at www.thelinenhall.com.

The performance is the final element of a project in which Laoise and John bring the joy of music to the garden gates of a number of older people in the Castlebar area who may not otherwise have the opportunity to experience live music. These visits mark the starting point of a Cultural Companions initiative involving Mayo County Council and the Linenhall Arts Centre.

Castlebar man John Hoban is a musician, singer, songwriter, and poet. He has played and taught music all his life and has travelled all over the world with his music, playing alongside Irish music greats including Christy Moore and Sharon Shannon. The ultimate multi-instrumentalist, John plays fiddle, accordion, mandolin, mando-cello, harmonica and more. His songs and music bridge the worlds of improvisation, experimentation and tradition.

Laoise Kelly is one of Ireland's leading traditional harpers. She has performed and recorded with the foremost artists in Irish music from The Chieftains to Kate Bush. She represented Ireland at the World Harp Festival in Paraguay. She has three critically acclaimed solo albums and is the director of the Achill International Harp Festival. In 2020 Laoise was awarded the TG4 Gradam Ceoil Musician of the year.

This initiative is strategically funded by Mayo County Council and the Arts Council. The project is delivered in partnership with the Linenhall Arts Centre and supported by Age Friendly Mayo and Castlebar Social Services Centre Meals on Wheels Service. Cultural Companions is an arts initiative developed by Age & Opportunity. This KEEP WELL campaign is brought to you with thanks to Healthy Ireland an initiative of the Government of Ireland with funding from the Healthy Ireland Fund and the Sláintecare fund delivered by Pobal.