THE COURTYARD SESSIONS

Niall Teague is a singer song writer and multi instrumentalist from Belfast City based in Galway in the west of Ireland. The Fast Company band features some of the west’s best talent on fiddle, flute, accordion, guitars, double bass, piano, drums, bodhran, harmonies and more. Niall Teague and the Fast Company play well crafted folk and roots style songs as well as uplifting trad fusion instrumentals. 

The Fiddle Case have gigged and toured all over Ireland and Europe, including festival gigs as diverse as Na Fir Bolg in Belgium to Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Ireland. Other notable gigs include The Doolin Folk Festival and support to Stocktons Wing. A recent collaboration with Luka Bloom was well received, and the two came together for a sold out concert in Doolin in February 2018. This was followed by sold out dates in Ennis, Clonakilty and Dundalk. Along with choices from both repertoires, they sought to rediscover and interpret a collection of well known Irish ballads. In November 2018 the band released their latest album, Write Me A Letter, including 4 original songs with traditional ballads, jigs and reels. Currently, the band are in the studio working on a new album.

Praised by Bootsy Collins as “Keepin’ the funk alive” Strange Attractor have been making people move since 2013. Blending a vibrant mix of energy and musicianship with well crafted songs, this finely oiled funk/pop machine from Dingle were born to entertain.

The Burma are an Indie rock n’roll band based in Cork City. Influenced by the American Indie scene of the early 2000’s and British guitar bands of the 80s and 90s, The Burma’s jangly guitars and bouncy basslines make for refreshingly melodic songs. The line-up consists of long-time friends from Cobh Tony O’Donovan and Peter Piggott along with Doolin, Co. Clare drummer Cian Doherty whom they met in Cork in 2012. The Burma released their debut EP Her Eyes On Horizons in June 2017. The EP featured the singles Love Fades and Sucker For Stars, both of which were met with great acclaim with Hot Press stating “The pop-rockers are as suited to the dancefloor as the dive bar, as bouncy basslines underpin earwig melodies and shimmering guitar lines”. The Burma’s latest single “Quicksand” was released in October 2018 and has gained extensive national airplay since its release. It was also made Joe.ie Song of The Day. “This is a classic three minute pop song full of verve and melody”. “The Burma are a band on the up and you really should start checking them out so you can tell your pals, you knew them before they became huge.”

Christy Moore has singled Sara out as “an artist he has known since she was very young and has a great future ahead of her”. Her latest single “Bright Blue Screens” was described by Fiachna O’Braonain RTE1 Late Date show, is ‘a song for our times with a powerful message’. Sara played to a sell out crowd in Coughlan’s of Cork on Friday 11th October for her Cork album launch. Sara has also appeared on RTÉ Radio One with Miriam O’Callaghan and Sean O’Rourke. Sara Ryan is a vocalist, songwriter and performer. Hailing out of Newbridge, County Kildare and now based in Cork City. Her debut single ‘Belle’ won her acclaim and recognition in 2017. Playing to over two thousand people at the Doolin Folk Festival and extensively touring her Debut EP ‘Glitter Skies’, Sara thrilled audiences throughout the country in venues such as Whelan’s, Coughlan’s and Kenny’s, each to a full house audience.

Eoin & Brian Davies are identical twin songwriters from County Clare, Ireland. Writing and performing as ‘The Davies Brothers’ with band members Luke Tai and Peter Piggott, they are quietly building a strong reputation for their raw, honest songs and natural harmonic blends. Their intuitive on-stage chemistry is guaranteed to captivate any audience. “Every now and then I hear something really special, that moves me with the raw honesty of it. I love when songs and singers give me a sense of lives being truly lived. The Davies Brothers give that.’ (Luka Bloom)