Galway Sessions line-up announced

THE full line-up for this year's Galway Sessions has been announced and there's plenty of music to look forward to from June 11 to 17. This is the 11th year of The Galway Sessions and the third year of its growing partnership and friendship with Stirling in Scotland. The sessions attracted more than 15,000 people last year, with many people traveling from overseas. The Galway Sessions endeavours to celebrate our local traditions but also to explore how Irish traditional music has impacted on other cultures. To this end, this year's festival features the very best of musicians from the core of the tradition, Johnny â€ËœRingo' McDonagh, Patsy Broderick, Anne Conroy, Sean Maloney, Greg Cotter, Liam Lewis and Cormac Cannon, alongside international acts including the iconic Curtis Blackwell, lead singer with Bill Monroe's pioneering bluegrass band, and French band Lazik, which presents an exciting mix of Gypsy and Balkan folk music with Irish Trad. A significant and important international population of musicians has grown in Galway over the past number of years and they have contributed greatly to the culture and vibrancy of the city. This will be celebrated in this year's festival. There is also a great opportunity for audience participation with two ceilis featuring the Tulla and the Kinlochard Ceili bands as well as exhibition dancing from Norway and Scotland in the Latin Quarter throughout the week. This festival will include street entertainment, an afternoon series of trad gigs at the King's Head, sessions and concerts at The Crane Bar, Monroe's and the Roisin Dubh, and a session trail through 11 pubs in Galway. The popular pipe band parade will take place in Shop Street daily at 2 pm by pipers from the Royal Scottish Academy led by Pipe Major Adam Moore and there will be highland dancing from champion dancers Narissa Home and Eileen MacRobert. The ceilis will take place in Mainguard Street. Mundy will perform at the Roisin Dubh on Friday, June 15 and fans can look forward to tracks from his big hits over the years, such as Galway Girl, July and Mexico, and some newer material. The Backstage Bar at Monroe's Live is the perfect venue for this year's festival club. Each night the club will open with a gig followed by a gathering of visiting and local musicians. For a full listing of events visit www.galwaysessions.com.