What’s On

Join us in the Atholl Room for a performance of Alan Bennett’s ‘Bed Among the Lentils’ which will also include a two course supper.

Catering by Niarby Catering, Main meal choice is hotpot, chicken curry or vegetarian, plus gateaux, tea and coffee

Welcome to Shennaghys Jiu 2017 . The  dates for this year’s festival are Friday 7th April – Monday 10th April.  This year’s festival is the 20th festival and as such we are planning to showcase much of our local talent, but also bring back some familiar faces who have helped make the festival such a success.

Once again a huge thank you goes out to all those who were involved in the organising, running and supporting of last year’s festival. We would, of course, especially like to thank our sponsors who again are invaluable to the success of the festival. They are all valuable and we continue to be grateful for their ongoing support.

Shennaghys Jiu is delighted to continue  to work with Culture Vannin  and are indebted to them for the support they have given from the start. We would also like to thank the Town of Ramsey  and the Ramsey Town Commissioners for the support and encouragement they have shown over the years, and hope they also feel the benefit of our vibrant and popular festival. We are also indebted for the continued support of Island Aggregates and welcome Corletts as another major sponsor to the festival.

Shennaghys Jiu is delighted to continue its support of local schools and we will continue to work with them to provide concerts and displays, but also give them a platform to display some of the fantastic artwork they produce. This can be viewed in Ramsey Town Hall from Monday 3d April.

As part of our celebrations, we are delighted to return to the Peel Centenary Centre to host an afternoon concert on Sunday 9th April. This will feature both local and visiting artists. It will be a concert featuring local super group, Mec Lir and Galician Duo, Antón Davila and Xosé Liz de Cea as well as Isla Callister’s new group Trip. It promises to be wonderful afternoon of traditional music.

We hope this year to build on the successes of previous years, and continue to provide enjoyable concerts and ceilidhs in the hope we can build on our family atmosphere and encourage new people to discover Manx Traditional Music and the joys a festival has to offer.

Shennaghys Jiu would like to extend a warm welcome to all visitors and the local community to the festival and hope they enjoy all it has to offer.

Join Ímar on the first date of their April 2017 Afterlight album launch tour!

Glasgow’s hottest new folk property, five-piece Ímar have created more than a bit of a stir in little over a year since their formation.

Their debut video, unleashed to the world during Celtic Connections 2016, has been viewed in excess of 200,000 times – whilst their touring credits already including the opening set at that year’s Cambridge Folk Festival (technically, the band’s first billed gig – a plaudit surely amongst as rare as they come) and headlining a stage at Belgium’s Dranouter Festival just a week later.

The Irish and Manx flavoured quintet now present their debut album – Afterlight – released on January 27, 2017, at their official Celtic Connections debut in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. This ahead of a UK launch tour in April, and numerous summer festivals including Denmark’s legendary Tønder Festival where they were one of the first six names to be announced for its 2017 outing.

With a line-up featuring members of Mànran, RURA, Talisk and Barrule, and a heavyweight collective haul of top prizes – including the 2016 BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year, a BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award, nine All-Ireland and eight All-Britain titles – the group’s formation embodies a personal reconnection with its members’ formative years, dating back long before their recent camaraderie around Glasgow’s justly celebrated session scene.

Adam Brown (bodhrán), Adam Rhodes (bouzouki), Mohsen Amini (concertina), Ryan Murphy (uilleann pipes) and Tomás Callister (fiddle) share a strong background in Irish music – although only Murphy actually hails from Ireland; Rhodes and Callister are from the Isle of Man, whilst Amini is a Glasgow native, and Brown originally from Suffolk – and it is these foundations which underpin many of Ímar’s distinctive qualities, in both instrumentation and material.

Ímar’s unmistakable synergy, however, centres on the overlapping cultural heritage between Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man. All three places once shared the same Gaelic language, and a similar, clearly potent, kinship endures between their musical traditions.

“definitely an act to watch!” Songlines

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT.

In this special acoustic performance Barbara Dickson and her pianist Nick Holland explore her catalogue of songs at an intimate level. The pair let the words and melodies take ‘centre stage’ as they perform a wonderful range of material drawing on Barbara’s folk roots, contemporary greats, and some of her classic hits.

Emerging from the Scottish folk scene of the late 1960’s Barbara had enjoyed mainstream chart success with hits including ‘Answer Me’, ‘Another Suitcase in Another Hall’, ‘Caravan’ and the million-selling number one single, ‘I Know Him So Well’. As Scotland’s best-selling female album artist she has earned 6 platinum, 11 gold and 7 silver albums and cemented her status as one of the UK’s best-loved performers . Her stage career has included the roles of the original Mrs Johnstone in Willy Russell’s long-running musical, ‘Blood Brothers’ and as Viv Nicholson in ‘Spend Spend Spend,’ both of which have won her an Olivier award for ‘Best Actress’. Barbara was awarded an O.B.E. by Her Majesty the Queen in the 2002 New Year’s Honours for her services to music and drama and she continues to record and to play to sold-out audiences.

Nick Holland joined Barbara’s touring band in the mid 2000’s playing keyboards and adding vocals on her ‘Full Circle’ album, the first to feature the style of music she now performs. Barbara and Nick recently started working as a ‘duo’ where she plays guitar and piano, and Nick on keyboards –and adding harmonies to Barbara’s own wonderful vocals. They have performed this way in numerous venues including Cathedrals, festivals and theatres and developed an intimate rapport with each other and the audience. “It’s a different experience to working with the bigger band” says Barbara, “but just as enjoyable and gives the music breathing space”.

ALL TICKETS NOW SOLD.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT.

In this special acoustic performance Barbara Dickson and her pianist Nick Holland explore her catalogue of songs at an intimate level. The pair let the words and melodies take ‘centre stage’ as they perform a wonderful range of material drawing on Barbara’s folk roots, contemporary greats, and some of her classic hits.

Emerging from the Scottish folk scene of the late 1960’s Barbara had enjoyed mainstream chart success with hits including ‘Answer Me’, ‘Another Suitcase in Another Hall’, ‘Caravan’ and the million-selling number one single, ‘I Know Him So Well’. As Scotland’s best-selling female album artist she has earned 6 platinum, 11 gold and 7 silver albums and cemented her status as one of the UK’s best-loved performers . Her stage career has included the roles of the original Mrs Johnstone in Willy Russell’s long-running musical, ‘Blood Brothers’ and as Viv Nicholson in ‘Spend Spend Spend,’ both of which have won her an Olivier award for ‘Best Actress’. Barbara was awarded an O.B.E. by Her Majesty the Queen in the 2002 New Year’s Honours for her services to music and drama and she continues to record and to play to sold-out audiences.

Nick Holland joined Barbara’s touring band in the mid 2000’s playing keyboards and adding vocals on her ‘Full Circle’ album, the first to feature the style of music she now performs. Barbara and Nick recently started working as a ‘duo’ where she plays guitar and piano, and Nick on keyboards –and adding harmonies to Barbara’s own wonderful vocals. They have performed this way in numerous venues including Cathedrals, festivals and theatres and developed an intimate rapport with each other and the audience. “It’s a different experience to working with the bigger band” says Barbara, “but just as enjoyable and gives the music breathing space”.

ALL TICKETS NOW SOLD.

Helen Watson • Melanie Harrold • Julie Matthews • Chris While • Christine Collister

1995 and five friends found themselves at Cambridge Festival. They decided to sing some songs together … magic happened and Daphne’s Flight took off. Now, two decades later, five of the best female singers of their generation are gathering again – older, wiser and twice as powerful.

In 2017 they will release their new album on the Fledgling Label

Brothers Phil, Peter, & Paul Caffrey have been singing together for most of their lives. Whether at family parties or in the front garden to impress their neighbours in the Holy Cross area of Wallsend, they needed no excuse to sing.

Their professional singing career began when they secured a recording contract with DJM records, the home of Elton John. Their band, ‘Arbre’, was hailed as Britain’s answer to the Eagles, but after making two critically well received albums and touring with Fairport Convention and Jim Capaldi – amongst others – they went their separate ways.

The brothers then recorded for Phonogram records with noted producer Gus Dudgeon (David Bowie, Chris Rea, Lindisfarne, Elkie Brooks) but commercial success still eluded the Caffreys.

Phil Caffrey continued to write songs and it wasn’t long before he formed a new band to perform his material. Whilst ‘Caffrey’ gained a good local following for their melodic rock – headlining at Newcastle’s Mayfair Ballroom – it was Phil’s songwriting that gained the attention of major music publishers. This resulted in Kiki Dee recording a song he had co-written with another respected local musician – George Lamb.

After the demise of Caffrey, Phil kept his hand in by providing backing vocals for such diverse talents as heavy rock band Saxon and local hero Jimmy Nail, whilst continuing to write.

In the early nineties he formed ‘The Lion’s Share’ with his two brothers but again widespread acclaim eluded them.

And that could have been the end of the story, but…

The Caffreys 

In 1999 the brothers decided to form one more band together. Booking into Newcastle’s Cluny Studios with the cream of local musicians, they began to record and simultaneously return to playing live gigs.

Buoyed by the critical and public acclaim afforded to their live shows (standing room only being the order of the day) they released their debut (‘The Caffrey Brothers’) nationally in 2000, following growing demand.

Now performing regularly, they supported Lindisfarne at Bents Park, South Shields to an audience of 14,000. Meanwhile, the band’s profile continued to rise across the UK, playing festivals and venues beyond their native North East.

The band played two sell-out gigs at Newcastle’s Live Theatre in 2002 to promote their second CD, ‘Face on My T-Shirt’, beginning a tradition of sell-out shows at the venue that continues to this day.

The present & the future  

The departure of youngest brother Paul from the band in 2015 marked the end of an era. As Phil said at the time:

“We’ve been making music for over 50 years, and together we have enjoyed the ups and downs of the music business. Pete and I will really miss sharing the stage with Paul and making music with him.” 

But with the remaining members – Phil, Peter, Michael Bailey, David Moore and Rachael Bailey – so firmly established and enjoying playing music with each other, the future of the band was never in doubt.

Confidence is very high with the Caffreys at present, as Phil points out:

“We still have that hunger for acceptance. Obviously, years of experience grounds us in reality but, put us on a stage alongside anyone you care to mention – anywhere – and we can capture that audience. This is a living breathing band, and we’re really up for it.”  

The Caffreys came to recent prominence when they were finalists in the BBC TV programme “UK’s Best Part Time Band.”

Charlie Wood and Jacqui Dankworth present an intimate evening of the songs of Duke Ellington and other classic songs.  Two sublime voices in harmony singing the songs of great composers. Charlie is the 136th person to receive a Brass Note on Beale street, Memphis Tennessee and is now garnering rave reviews for his new album “New Souvenirs” out on Perdido Records co – produced by Jacqui and Charlie.

http://jacquidankworth.com

http://charliewood.us

Yn Chruinnaght presents Celtfest IOM are excited to announce that the festival will open with a lecture on The Celts by anatomist, anthropologist and broadcaster, Professor Alice Roberts, who has presented several landmark BBC series including The Incredible Human Journey, Origins of Us, Ice Age Giants and The Celts.

£15 OR buy Festival Pass £55 (5 events) – SORRY, THIS LECTURE IS NOW SOLD OUT.

Yn Chruinnaght presents Celtfest IOM – Hamish Napier’s The River: the stunning debut album by award-winning Scottish composer and folk multi-instrumentalist, Hamish Napier, celebrating his local river, The Spey, is the perfect soundtrack to the stunning scenery of Speyside and the Highlands. Featuring the musical talents of Hamish Napier, Ross Ainslie, Sarah Hayes, James Duncan Mackenzie, James Lindsay, Martin O’Neill, Calum MacCrimmon, Dave Milligan, Tom Gibbs. Hamish will also work with Bree supergroup Scran to programme the first half of the concert.

This event is supported by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company

£12.50 OR buy Festival Pass £55 (5 events)

Yn Chruinnaght presents Celtfest IOM –Talisk: winners of the 2015 BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award and featuring the talents of 2016 BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year, Mohsen Amini (concertina), Hayley Keenan (fiddle) and Craig Irving (guitar), Talisk create a captivating, energetic and dynamic sound.

£12.50 OR buy Festival Pass £55 (5 events)

Yn Chruinnaght presents Celtfest IOM – Rioghnach Connolly Band: Armagh born singer and flautist with more sass than a sassy thing, Rioghnach guests regularly with Afro Celt Sound System, and fronts the foot-banging sound of Honeyfeet and the soulful beauty of Realworld Records’ The Breath.

£12.50 OR buy Festival Pass £55 (5 events)

Yn Chruinnaght presents Celtfest IOM – Connla: the hottest new group out of Northern Ireland, featuring Ciara McCafferty (vocals), Ciaran Carlin (whistles), Paul Starrett (guitar) and siblings Emer and Conor Mallon on harp and uilleann pipes.

£15.00 OR buy Festival Pass £55 (5 events)

We are thrilled that Si Cranstoun and his superb 5-piece band are making a welcome return to Peel after his sold out show in 2016.

Si spent many years as a busker on the streets of London and performed in The Dualers, a Ska band, before becoming widely recognized as a composer and singer of music heavily influenced by 1950s and 1960s Rock and Rhythm and Blues.

In 2013 he performed with Little Richard in Las Vegas. He was spotted in April that year and signed up with Warner. His single Caught in the Moonlight was shortlisted on the Radio 2 playlist.

With a voice often compared to Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson, Si’s endless energy and enthusiasm for perfection ensure that he delivers a performance you will be guaranteed to remember for years to come.

As with his show in 2016, seating capacity will be slightly reduced to provide space for dancing.

Tickets available now either online through www.tickets.im/cc or through or usual outlets:

Celtic Gold in Peel

Peter Norris in Douglas

Thompson Travel in Port Erin

Shakti Man in Ramsey

We would like to thank Demetri’s Hair Salon of Peel for supporting this event.

The Legend Of Luke Kelly – Celebrating the memory and music of a true Irish musical legend.

On 30th January 1984 it is said that the whole of Ireland grieved the early death of Dubliner Luke Kelly. He has left an indelible mark as being the greatest folk artist of the 20th Century and his music is widely regarded as one of Ireland’s cultural treasures.

Dublin singer/ songwriter/ multi-instrumentalist Chris Kavanagh was raised on Irish music and has been singing Irish folk songs since he was three years old. He learned to play the piano by ear when he was five and his love and passion for Luke Kelly’s music led him to learn to play the 5 string long neck banjo in 2001. Chris bears a remarkable resemblance to Luke, while his singing talents capture the depth and passion of the great man he was so heavily influenced by.

Over the past sixteen years he has amazed audiences following powerful sell-out performances in prominent Irish venues such as Vicar Street & The Cork Opera House with the regular attendance of Luke Kelly’s family. Chris released his own album of original material “Voice Of The People” in 2011 and shortly afterwards stood in with folk legends The Dubliners on their German tour, and also made a guest appearance on their 50th anniversary concert DVD recorded in Vicar Street. He is joined by other accomplished musicians and all consider it a great honour to bring Luke’s memory back to the stage.

Offaly man Joe Finn was born in Kilmucklin, Clara, into a house steeped in traditional Irish music.His Father taught him how to play the tin whistle which further progressed to him learning to play the flute. At the age of eighteen, Joe began to play the Uilleann pipes and now also plays the fiddle.He has played with “Legend of Luke Kelly” for the past ten years and in 2008 released his first solo traditional album “The Piper Calls the tune

‘A beautiful blast from our beautiful past’..Eamon Dunphy

‘You might find that you have to pinch yourself’..RTE’s Open House
‘A Must !’ ..The Irish Times

Band Members :
Chris Kavanagh – Lead vocals / Long neck 5-string banjo / Guitar / Piano (Dublin)
Joe Finn – Uilleann pipes / Whistles / Fiddle (Offaly)
Michael Howard –  Guitar / Vocals (Dublin)

Tickets available now from:

Celtic Gold, Peel

Peter Norris Music, Douglas

Thompson Travel, Port Erin

Shakti Man, Ramsey

Keep folk smiling!!

We welcome back again our friends Tony, Steve, David and now also James from the Houghton Weavers for a wonderful evening of humour and song. This year the Weavers are back for two nights.

Tickets are available from:

Celtic Gold in Peel

Peter Norris Music in Douglas

Thompson Travel in Port Erin

Shakti Man in Ramsey