Gordon Hotchkiss on his Wednesday night ‘Hotchkiss Hotchpotch’ included a special feature on Dublin’s Trad fest which starts on Wednesday 22 January. Listen to the interview here.
Over 15,000 lovers of traditional Irish music and culture are expected to crowd into Temple Bar, Dublin’s cultural quarter, for a ‘reely’ rocking four days of the best trad music in the world at Dublin Tradfest.
Featuring over 200 events, the 2014 festival will run from Wednesday 22 to Sunday 26 January 2014 with a programme of exciting headline concerts, free outdoor stages and family fun.
With a mix of Irish and international musicians, well-established and emerging artists, and music old and new, the festival promises to be the perfect antidote to the mid-winter blues.
TradFest’s overture will be a performance by internationally renowned Spanish musician Carlos Núñez in the stunning surrounds of St Patrick’s Cathedral on Wednesday 22 January.
Carlos Núñez is one of Galicia’s most revered artists and the undisputed master of Galicia’s signature musical instrument, the Galician bagpipes.
St Patrick’s Cathedral will also be the venue for performances from legendary Irish musicians including Stocktons’ Wing, Frankie Gavin & De Dannan, Paul Brady and a celebration of Frankie Kennedy’s life and music featuring Altan and guests.
Other TradFest venues include Dublin’s splendid Georgian City Hall, which will play host to five magical musical nights – Celebrate Limerick Irish City of Culture 2014, Celebrating Riga European City of Culture 2014, Commemorating the Songs of World War 1, and From Manchester to Mayo – A Musical Tradition.
The City Hall will also be the setting for the first ever Dublin based musical celebration of a Scottish Burns Night on Saturday 25 January.
Kieran Hanrahan, Artistic Director, Temple Bar TradFest, says: “We have assembled a line-up of some of the most iconic figures in Irish traditional music, as well as international talent. In 2014 Temple Bar TradFest will also commemorate and celebrate a number of key events in Ireland’s history from the centenary of World War I to the millennium of the Battle of Clontarf. Not only a music festival, there will also be film screenings, exhibitions, street entertainment and a children’s club.”
This year’s Tradfest introduces an exciting new element: ‘An Audience with Irish Folk Legends’, which will showcase some of the stalwarts of the Irish folk tradition in the intimate surroundings of a traditional Irish pub.
The Dublin Legends (formerly the Dubliners), The Fury Brothers, The Dublin City Ramblers and Bagatelle will each play one concert each night in a different pub within Temple Bar, which boasts a rich variety of watering holes from the historic Victorian Bar to the beautiful 19th century Merchants Hall building.
Hotchkiss Hotchpotch with Gordon Hotchkiss, Wednesday 15 January 7.00 to 10.00pm. Repeat Thursday 16 January 12noon-3.00pm and Catch Up anytime. You can listen to the interview at our Archive Listen Again page.