Three days of events in Kilkenny is set to benefit aid efforts in Ukraine.
Stephen Rea, Lisa O’ Neill, Niamh Regan and many more have been announced for April Sounds which rolls out at St Canice’s Cathedral and the Medieval Mile Museum from 8th to 10th April with a series full of music and spoken word.
Organisers say full proceeds from tickets will go to the Red Cross Ukraine and UNICEF Ukraine who are running emergency appeals. (Links to both with other local fundraising efforts here).
It all opens on the Friday at St Canice’s Cathedral, beginning with Kilkenny singer and songwriter Bríd Lyons who’s joined on the bill by Lisa O’ Neill, duo Rónán Ó Snodaigh & Myles O’Reilly and Arrivalists.
Saíocht, a celebration of Ireland’s leading poets and Irish traditional musicians, will be at the same venue on Saturday evening from 8pm. Hosted by renowned actor Stephen Rea, it features leading poet Gabriel Rosenstock and spoken word artist FeliSpeaks and will include poems by two Kilkenny poets Robert McLoughlin and Emily Murtagh. Also there are acclaimed Irish traditional musicians Louise and Michelle Mulcahy and Neil Martin.
Siblings Caoimhe and Séamus Uí Flatharta, whose recent performance of the lament “Anach Cuan” on the Late Late Show in honour of Aishling Murphy captured the mood of the nation, make their Kilkenny debut on the Sunday from 12pm at the Medieval Mile Museum.
They’re followed at the same spot from 3pm by critically acclaimed songwriter Niamh Regan and local musician Gary O’Neill.
While Kilkenny based singer and songwriter John Hegarty will round off the occasion with an 8:30pm launch of his album “Twilight” which is being released on the Rollercoaster Records label.
April Sounds is delivered locally by Kilkenny County Council Arts Office and funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltcht, Sport & Media.
Tickets go on sale this Friday, 4th March – further information are available from Rollercoaster Records, Kieran Street, Kilkenny.
