Irish Heartbeat brings the culture of the Emerald Isle and the unique atmosphere surrounding the national holiday St. Patrick's Day directly to the nearest concert hall: Three acts will perform a program ranging from traditional folk to hearty Celtic rock. The evening will conclude with a joint session – and then the St. Patrick's Day party will be complete! Since the festival was launched 37 years ago, numerous Celtic bands have started their careers here, such as Toss the Feathers, Spirit of The West, and a certain Rea Garvey (“Reamonn”), who was there with his former band Reckless Pedestrians!

Yann Honoré - One man Celtic orchestra

The Breton multi-instrumentalist Yann Honoré plays whistles, cello, electric bass, electric guitar and percussion. He is a master of loops. Yann plays a riff, records it and lets it run in a repetition loop. He then adds more riffs until he has created a pulsating and multi-layered soundscape of loops. Last but not least, he chooses an instrument with which to solo at the top of this orchestral sound and show off his virtuosity.

His compositions are rooted in Breton, Irish and North African traditional music. Yann has earned a great deal of respect in his forty-year career in Brittany. Among other things,
he was guitarist and bassist in the Celtic rock band Glaz, then producer of the charismatic singer Gwennyn and is currently a member of the traditional band Buzz Buddies. He will play original compositions from his wonderful album “Autoportrait” and enchant the audience as a “one man Celtic orchestra”.

Eva Coyle & Band - a musical secret from the Emerald Isle

Singer-songwriter Eva Coyle from Athlone has a voice with an extraordinary timbre - gentle, yet powerful, touching and refreshing at the same time. Like the morning dew that settles on autumn leaves and catches the light of the rising sun, her singing cools and invigorates the senses. When she breathes her lyrics into the microphone - an artful balance between reality and fiction - a magic unfolds that casts a spell over the audience.

Her keyboard playing, with which she masterfully accompanies her voice, is particularly impressive. But she is also an accordionist who really gets to grips with the keys during the instrumentals.  But Eva looks beyond Ireland's musical borders: her fondness for the Scandinavian folk tradition lends some arrangements a Nordic earthiness that makes her music even more multifaceted. A sound you won't want to let go of. A sound that won't let you go.

Their quartet creates a sound that feels like a cozy hot water bottle on a cold winter's day - a sound that you cling to and don't want to give up. Stylistically more “folky” than strictly traditional, yet unmistakably Irish through the use of fiddle and accordion. At the same time, the band brings a lot of pressure to the stage with a drummer, so that the folky sound unfolds in a danceable and poppy way. After their EP “Feels like Rain” (2018), the album “Down to the Shore” (2022) delighted audiences and critics alike. Mark Redcliff from BBC Sounds raved: “I adore Eva's sound and look forward to hearing more.”

The musicians - masters of their craft

Four outstanding musicians contribute to the band's unmistakable sound:

Sean O'Dalaigh (fiddle, vocals) - He adds orchestral depth to the songs, sets striking harmony vocals and ignites pure joie de vivre with energetic jigs & reels. Eva shows off her virtuosity on the accordion.

John Shanagher (guitar) - His guitar playing is like a soft, airy cushion on which every voice can unfold perfectly. With his accompaniment, everything sounds relaxed and effortless.

Stephen Shanly (Drums) - A drummer with sensitivity and power at the same time. With subtle impulses and driving grooves, he gives the band's sound a gripping dynamic.

An insider tip not to be missed! Eva Coyle and her band are one of the best-kept secrets of the Emerald Isle - for now. Once you've heard them, you won't forget them.

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Billow Wood - Old Ireland meets new Ireland

You have to know the past well to understand the present and interpret the future. The five from the north-western county of Mayo are musical diviners who feel all these currents beneath the cultural surface of the Emerald Isle and bring them to light. Their music is both modern, hip and respectfully rooted in Irish tradition. For over a decade they have been on tour or rather mission: Old Ireland meets new Ireland.

They write the majority of their songs themselves, but they interpret them on traditional instruments such as harp, fiddle, tin whistle, bodhrán and accordion. But also drums and guitar. In this way, new musical ideas still have a connection to the sound familiar from Irish folk. But the content of the songs is also oriented towards today's Ireland and what is currently on the minds of young Irish people. The absolute trademark of the “WOODIES” - as they affectionately call their fans - is their outstanding polyphonic singing.

Stephen Shanly (Drums) - A drummer with sensitivity and power at the same time. With subtle impulses and driving grooves, he gives the band's sound a gripping dynamic.

A purely traditional Irish folk band will unfortunately never have a hit thanks to our encrusted media landscape, but singer/songwriters of the caliber of BILLOW WOOD can make it with their part pop, part indie undertone. The renowned HotPress magazine, which discovered U2 many years ago, raved about their debut EP: “A rising act you should keep an eye and ear on.”

In Ireland, the “WOODIES” are welcome guests at Ireland's biggest festival every year - the Electric Picnic with a good 160,000 visitors. We can't offer you that in Germany, but fans of the Irish heartbeat will celebrate the “Woodies”, who conjure up a very special St. Patrick's Day atmosphere in the halls.