Boston Irish Festival begins Friday at ICCNE, Canton
Gaelic Storm, the irrepressible Celtic folk-rock quintet, headlines this year’s Boston Irish Festival, set for this weekend, June 8-10 at the Irish Cultural Centre of New England in Canton. Other performers slated to appear at the festival include The Prodigals, The Glengarry Bhoys, and The Screaming Orphans, as well as popular local acts such as The Gobshites, Devri, The Great Whiskey Rebellion, The Silver Spears, Erin’s Melody, and the Andy Healy Band.

As always, music is just one of the attractions at the festival, which will feature GAA Irish football and hurling, Irish step dance performances, Irish arts and crafts shops, genealogy consultations, and amusements and activities for children. There also will be special events, notably a road race and an attempt to set the world’s record for a gathering of redheads.
Gaelic Storm will open the festival with an evening concert on Fri., June 8. While the band drew international attention through its cameo appearance in the 1996 film “Titanic,” Gaelic Storm has built a solid, loyal following through nearly two decades of constant touring and the release of a concert DVD and four albums, with another, “Chicken Boxer,” due out this summer. The band’s members are Patrick Murphy – an audience favorite for his spirited singing and stage patter; guitarist Steve Twigger; percussionist Ryan Lacey; bagpiper and whistle player Pete Purvis; and fiddler Jessie Burns.
Tickets for the Gaelic Storm concert range from $30 for preferred seating (sold only in advance) to $25 at the gate and $20 for advance purchase.
Similar to Gaelic Storm, many of the other acts performing at the festival bring rock and other more contemporary styles to their treatment of Irish music. But traditional sounds will be around, too, say festival organizers, such as the musicians from Boston’s Hanafin-Cooley branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.
The Saturday portion of the festival will open at 9:30 a.m. with a 5K road race; entrants will get free admission to the festival (go to the festival website for details on registration).
Festival information, including ticket prices, is available online at bostonirishfestival.info.
The Music Line-up
By Sean Smith
Special to the BIR
Gaelic Storm, the irrepressible Celtic folk-rock quintet, headlines this year’s Boston Irish Festival, which takes place June 8-10 at the Irish Cultural Centre of New England in Canton.
Other performers slated to appear at the festival include The Prodigals, The Glengarry Bhoys, and The Screaming Orphans, as well as popular local acts such as The Gobshites, Devri, The Great Whiskey Rebellion, The Silver Spears, Erin’s Melody, and the Andy Healy Band.
As always, music is just one of the attractions at the festival, which will feature GAA Irish football and hurling, Irish step dance performances, Irish arts and crafts shops, genealogy consultations, and amusements and activities for children. There also will be special events, notably a road race and an attempt to set the world’s record for a gathering of redheads.
Gaelic Storm will open the festival with an evening concert on Fri., June 8. While the band drew international attention through its cameo appearance in the 1996 film “Titanic,” Gaelic Storm has built a solid, loyal following through nearly two decades of constant touring and the release of a concert DVD and four albums, with another, “Chicken Boxer,” due out this summer. The band’s members are Patrick Murphy – an audience favorite for his spirited singing and stage patter; guitarist Steve Twigger; percussionist Ryan Lacey; bagpiper and whistle player Pete Purvis; and fiddler Jessie Burns.
Tickets for the Gaelic Storm concert range from $30 for preferred seating (sold only in advance) to $25 at the gate and $20 for advance purchase.
Similar to Gaelic Storm, many of the other acts performing at the festival bring rock and other more contemporary styles to their treatment of Irish music. But traditional sounds will be around, too, say festival organizers, such as the musicians from Boston’s Hanafin-Cooley branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.
The Saturday portion of the festival will open at 9:30 a.m. with a 5K road race; entrants will get free admission to the festival (go to the festival website for details on registration).
Festival information, including ticket prices, is available online at bostonirishfestival.info.