John Carty, one of the finest names in Irish traditional music will be joined by his daughter, Maggie, herself an accomplished banjo player and by traditional singer and guitarist Shane McGowan.

Born in London John has been living in Ireland for the last 23 years and has become one of the most sought after traditional musicians in the country. He is regarded as one of the main modern day exponents of the Sligo style. In 2003 he was awarded the coveted TG4 Gradam Ceoil - Musician of the Year. John is constantly innovative in his playing, the degree of such innovation sees that scarcely a bar goes by where he is not seeking a fresh perspective yet never wavering from the essence of the given piece. Invention is tirelessly put into practice and a great deal of expression is turned out of the simplest tune. Throughout his live shows, great performances of fiddle and banjo are captured with a sense of unfaltering energy and excitement. There is an uninhibited atmosphere which shows the audience just how much he is enjoying the musical moment and invites the audience to share that spontaneous pleasure

Maggie has been described as having found her second home on stage and has a natural stage talent. Her singing has been compared to the late and great Margaret Barry by UK folk journalist Mike Harding, “It’s because it’s the real deal….and the truth.”

It is a hallmark of traditional music that it is handed down from generation to generation and this father and daughter gig offers the audience an insight into a living and evolving tradition that spans at least four Carty generations. As they duet together the sense of trust, honesty, unspoken understanding and pure devilment in their music will be evident. On stage the duo have a natural ease with each other and their enjoyment and sense of fun is palpable and infectious!

The pair will be accompanied by Co Sligo guitar genius, Shane McGowan who has been described as the ‘perfect guitar player’ with immense ability to produce the ideal backdrop to any given melody. Shane is very much in demand for his accompanying skills and has performed with many top musicians including Matt Molloy, Mairtin O’Connor and Lunasa. He recently joined John and Maggie on their debut duet album Settle out of Court.