ENTERTAINMENT: Damien Dempsey to play in Castlebar

Singing powerhouse Damien Dempsey is on tour with his new double album, ‘Hold Your Joy’ – with a much-anticipated performance in the TF Royal Castlebar slated for Friday night, February 21.
Featuring 16 intricately crafted tracks, the album – released last October – is honest, vulnerable, poignant and essential listening. Produced by long-time collaborator John Reynolds, ‘Hold Your Joy’ is considered Dempsey’s most complete work to date.
The Dublin-born singer-songwriter’s lyrics are renowned for their emotive social and political commentaries, while the tracks on ‘Hold Your Joy’ – his first album in seven years – also feature rousing words to live by and personal stories.
Dempsey is no stranger to Mayo, having played here several times, but many Mayo fans will remember one stand-out moment, when he performed at the 2013 Westport Festival of Music and Food on the grounds of Westport House, in a special show called ‘Pipe-Versity’. The show was led by Westport’s own Clew Bay Pipe Band and also featured local groups Edison and Coda, renowned harpist Laoise Kelly, the legendary Steve Cooney, and singer-songwriter Mundy. It brought the house down.
Fans heading to the Castlebar gig next month can expect songs from the new album as well as plenty of hits from a career that spans almost 30 years. See tfroyal.ie for tickets.