Keeping it Country
ALL ROADS will lead to the Bannow and Rathangan Showgrounds in Killag (near Kilmore Quay) on Sunday as the third annual South East Country Music Festival takes place from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Featuring a selection of top country music stars and crowd favourites, the festival is set to be one of the biggest events of the summer, offering a great family day out for people from far and near. In the last two years, country music lovers from all over Ireland have flocked to the event while, this year, there has been one query from an American family who plan to attend the festival while here on holiday!
The line-up for the day is: Gerry Guthrie, Jimmy Buckley, Cliona Hagan, Lee Matthews and The Conquerers, and finally, Mike Denver and his band.
Headlining the festival is Mike Denver. Known as ‘ The Galway Boy’, Mike is one of Ireland’s top entertainers, having this year celebrated 15 years in the entertainment scene. He is regarded as the best band for dancing with a 2.5 hour high energy show featuring all of his hits, ‘Wasn’t that a Party’, ‘ Tommy K’, ‘Galway Girl’, ‘Paddy ‘, ‘ Hills of Donegal’ his Rockabilly selection and his current single ‘Hey God/Galway Tae Double A Side’. Having recently won Performer of the Year and Album of the Year (Cut Loose) at the Irish Country Music Awards, he is sure to deliver a high tempo show in Killag.
Gerry Guthrie has been fronting his own country band for the past seven years, during which time he has toured extensively throughout Ireland as well as becoming a household name in the UK. Before that, he worked as a guitar player for several popular Irish bands and pursued a successful solo career. He has received a number of prestigious awards and released four studio albums. His songs include ‘ The Lucky Horseshoe’, ‘Second Hand Heart’, and his latest song ‘Did She Mention My Name’.
Jimmy Buckley’s career is going from strength to strength and he is destined to be a huge star. He is already one of the top entertainers in Ireland, and his ambition is to conquer the English Country market, not ruling out Europe. Following numerous visits across the water to England, Jimmy is building up a large fan base and his concerts and dances are always sold out. Jimmy first came to the attention of the Birmingham audiences when he appeared on Bob Brolly’s Big Charity Show in the Symphony