On 24 January 2025, Culture Ireland will support six music artists to perform at the 2025 edition of Showcase Scotland, as part of Celtic Connections.
Established in 1994, Celtic Connections is one of the leading annual festivals of world, folk and roots music with more than 2,100 musicians from across the globe taking part in 300 events at 25 Glasgow venues over 18 days. Each year, during Celtic Connections, Showcase Scotland partners with a country offering a showcase opportunity for a selected number of bands. Ireland has been selected as the international partner for 2025.
The six artists who will be performing at the Ireland Spotlight at Showcase Scotland are:
Córas Trio
‘Córas Trio’ reinvent the spontaneous. Deconstructed Irish traditional melodies emerge from blissful, otherworldly textures that foreground fiddle, guitar and percussion with transcendental electronics; suspending elements of collective free improvisation with seisiún-style playfulness, they are part of a creative wave of musicians exploring how traditional music relates to the experience of the 21st century.
“they boldly go where few have even dreamed of going before” (The Irish Times).
“imaginative… quick witted… boldly investigating 21st century Irish identity” (The Wire)
“Explosive!” (Soweto Kinch BBC Radio 3)
Fiárock is a four-piece Irish traditional band that tells a story steeped in sound. Hailing from both sides of the Atlantic, the quartet masterfully treads the line of staying true to the tradition while embracing the diversity of influences from each member’s personal background, enriching their sound with jazz harmonies, American old-time melodies, and Mexican folk song. Concertina, banjo, piano, bodhrán, and vocals join together in powerful arrangements, from rip-roaring polkas to mesmerizing slow airs, in ways that will enchant and enrapture both trad-heads and newcomers alike. The band, which consists of Clíona Halley (concertina), Nicolle Fig (bodhrán and vocals), Evan Powell (piano) and Darragh Carey-Kennedy (banjo), have performed in various events and festivals across Europe and North America, including CeltaSur in Granada and Goderich Celtic Roots Festival in Canada. With the band’s first album currently in the works, Fiárock is going full speed ahead. Fiarock’s plans for 2025 include European and North American tours, forging their way into the future with plenty of craic!
Gráinne Hunt
A queer, nu-folk, singer-songwriter with a voice like complex coffee, Gráinne Hunt captivates audiences with heart-melting vocals and deeply emotional songs, establishing herself as a standout among Ireland’s leading vocalists and songwriters. Described as ‘The Irish Joni’, she’s sung with Glen Hansard and U2, has opened for Gladys Knight and Eagle Eye Cherry.
With a live EP from her debut US tour coming soon, she’s also recording a studio album for release in 2025.
‘No crowd can resist’ Declan O’Rourke
Celebrated uilleann piper Leonard Barry’s playing ranges from the slides and jigs of Sliabh Luachra in his native Kerry to the reels of the Sligo coast where he lives today. After decades as touring piper with many of Ireland’s finest singers, in 2024 Leonard took centre stage, releasing his third solo album, Littoral, produced by Michael McGoldrick. Live, he is partnered by fiddler Andy Morrow and various guests: for this showcase they are joined by Ali Hutton on guitar.
Niamh Bury
Niamh Bury is one of the most exciting new voices on the Irish folk scene. Her debut album,
Yellow Roses, was released in March 2024 – earning #3 on Mojo’s Best Folk Albums of 2024 list. Niamh’s richly-textured folk sound and singular vocals has led her to share the stage with acts Flyte, Maddison Cunningham, Dermot Kennedy and Ye Vagabonds.
Nominated for Best Emerging Artists at the 2024 RTE Folk Awards, she is one of the first new artists in almost two decades to be signed to Ireland’s most culturally important record label, Claddagh Records.
“Think folky Cat Power or sun-drunk Weyes Blood and prepare to be transported.” (Mojo⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
“‘Yellow Roses’ poses itself as an immaculate debut album from quickly rising folk wonder Niamh Bury.” (Golden Plec⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
“The effect of immersing yourself in the record is holistic, like gazing up at a sweeping fresco, the detail so magnificent it’s impossible to decide where to lay your eyes first.” (Hot Press9.5/10)
Nuala Kennedy & Eamon O’Leary
‘Sumptous folk songs’ The Guardian * * * *
GUARDIAN Folk Album of the Month
‘Dazzling’ MOJO * * * *
‘Beguiling’ Songlines * * * *
Top 5 U.S. Folk Charts
Beloved folk performers, Nuala Kennedy & Eamon O’ Leary have created an atmospheric album of songs entitled ‘Hydra’ after the Greek Island where they recorded. Featuring harmony songs and an understated musical virtuosity, the duo is in high demand. Nuala is currently the singer in Amercan-Irish supergroup Solas.
The selected Irish artists will perform as part of the Showcase Scotland event on Friday 24 January 2025 in front of an invited audience of approximately 180 international delegates, made up of industry professionals, agents, and festival and venue programmers.
A Youtube playlist of the artists that will be performing at Showcase Scotland 2025 can be found here.
The full programme for Ireland Spotlight at Showcase Scotland can be viewed here.
