Cream of Irish and International Talent to Perform at The Ballincollig Winter Music Festival at The White Horse

Cream of Irish and International Talent to Perform at The Ballincollig Winter Music Festival at The White Horse

17 January 2012

The White Horse, Ballincollig plays host to the 3rd Annual Winter Music Festival from Thursday 26th to Sunday 29th January, with its biggest and best line up to date, including gigs from some of Ireland's most popular musicians including Paul Brady and Cathy Davey.

Following on the huge success of the event over the last 2 years, the Ballincollig Winter Music Festival will once again present its line-up of top class Irish and Internationally renowned performers for concerts in the intimate surroundings of their exclusive music venue, Upstairs @ The White Horse.

To kick off the festival on Thursday 26th January, the White Horse presents two of the most celebrated duos in Irish traditional music in a unique double headline concert with Paddy & Kevin Glackin, and Caoimhín O'Raghallaigh & Brendan Begley from 8.30pm. Tickets for what promises to be a mesmerizing mix of Irish traditional music are just €15.

Grammy award winning multi-instrumentalist Tim O'Brien returns to The White Horse with renowned guitarist and producer Arty McGlynn at his side for a sublime and compelling evening of roots music on Friday 27th. As a songwriter, O'Brien has a gift for finding the profound hiding within the mundane, and bringing it out in a way that is both casually conversational and deeply felt, while McGlynn is well known for playing guitar on the critically acclaimed 1989 Van Morrison album, Avalon Sunset. Tickets for this intimate gig are €20.

Paul Brady, singer, songwriter and undoubtedly one of Ireland's most enduringly popular artists performs on Saturday 28th with special guests at the Ballincollig Winter Music Festival. From the seminal "Welcome Here Kind Stranger" to uncompromising live performances the world over, this is the most highly anticipated concert in the history of the festival and is sure to be a sell-out.

This year's festival draws to a close on Sunday 29th with an unmissable intimate concert with number one selling Irish artist, Meteor Ireland Music Award winner, and two times Choice Music Prize nominee Cathy Davey, with very special guests Jodavino, featuring The White Horse's very own Joe Carey. Cathy will bring the curtain down on a stunning weekend's entertainment, in what will be the gig that sees her returning to the stage for the first time in 18 months. Tickets are available now and are priced at just €20.

Speaking about the upcoming festival, which now has followers from as far afield as Germany and Holland, White Horse owner and festival organiser, Joe Carey of Jodavino fame said "We're delighted to once again host the Winter Music Festival. It's on the back of its success last year that we decided to run with it again and make it our biggest and best to date line-up. January can be a dreary month and it's great to give people something to look forward to with the first music festival of 2012."

Christy Leahy, organiser of the Ballincollig Winter Music Festival added "We have an incredible line-up of acts. Audiences will get a chance to see the likes of Paul Brady and Tim O'Brien who regularly play to packed auditoriums all over the world, up close in an intimate setting. This makes for a unique and highly charged atmosphere, to the benefit of both performer and audience member. We're very privileged to have the legend that is Paul Brady performing at the festival - a rare and special performance not often witnessed in Cork."

While the gigs Upstairs @ The White Horse are sure to be the highlights of the weekend, this year's Winter Music Festival has so much more to offer music lovers of all ages. With a host of music classes for all ages, Sean Nós dancing, a late night festival club, free traditional Irish and bluegrass sessions, children's storytelling and the inevitable spontaneous performance, festival organisers guarantee a fantastic weekend ahead.

For more information and tickets call in to The White Horse, Ballincollig, find "The Ballincollig Winter Music Festival" on facebook, call (021) 4871388 or book tickets online at www.tickets.ie.