Westport's fourth Folk and Bluegrass Festival will be officially launched this Saturday, June 5, in Geraghty's Pub, The Octagon, Westport.
Two acts are slated to play on the night – The Henry Girls, who received standing ovations at the festival last year, and the everpopular MacEvillys from Killawalla.
The Henry Girls – Joleen, Lorna and Karen McLaughlin – are three sisters from Inishowen in Co Donegal. The band’s name comes from the local family nickname, Henry. Their music is an eclectic mix of folk, blues and traditional Irish, with ‘spine-tingling’ three-part harmonies.
The sisters decided to form the band in 2001, and they recorded their first album, ‘Between Us’ in 2002. Their second album, ‘Morning Rush’, was released in 2007 to great acclaim, with Irish Music Magazine describing it as ‘well crafted’, saying it reflects “the diverse mix of musical traditions that have shaped and influenced their unique blend of country, traditional, jazz and roots – each of which they perform with considerable ease and enjoyment.”
The Henry Girls released their third album ‘Dawn’ this year. It features music from the award-winning film ‘A Shine of Rainbows’ starring Aidan Quinn and Connie Neilsen, for which they were nominated for an IFTA for Best Original Score.
The line-up for the 2010 Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival will be announced on Saturday night, and tickets for the different shows will be on sale. The festival takes place from June 25 to June 27.
