If you’re looking for an outstanding group of musicians who specialise in the performance and presentation of the very best of the traditional Irish repertoire, and whose main aim is to delight and entertain their audience, then Manchester-based Shannagh is almost certainly the band for you.
“Boundless energy combined with excellent musicianship and prodigious performance skill brings traditional Celtic music to life…”
It goes without saying that all the tried-and-tested favourite Irish songs are in the repertoire – haunting ballads dealing with love lost and nostalgic exile, plus some more rowdy devil-may-care singalongs, with a cracking selection of tunes and ‘a bit of the Blarney’ thrown in for good measure.
With a keyboard laying a solid rhythmic and harmonic framework, the full Shannagh line-up includes an All-Ireland Whistle Champion and a BBC Young Tradition Finalist on fiddle. This flexible outfit can provide a compact duo for intimate venues and up to a six-piece band for larger events.
Veterans of several tours of Ireland, Shannagh have appeared at Manchester Irish Festival on many occasions. The guys broadcast extensively on radio, and can confidently draw on a wealth of experience performing at numerous corporate events, wedding celebrations and family parties.
If you want a Ceilidh or Barndance, Shannagh can bring along an experienced dance-caller to explain and demonstrate all the different steps and moves, and generally organise the traditional dancing. The band comes fully-equipped with a top-quality PA system to amplify and balance their music which can be adapted to produce crystal-clear sound in venues of pretty well any size. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy the party!
With entertaining songs and cracking jigs and reels, all drawn from the unique Celtic tradition, Shannagh will present an Irish night to remember.
- Exciting Irish music, guaranteed to get audiences on their feet
- Specialist dance-caller to assist with ceilidh, if required
- Fully-equipped with a top-quality PA system
Audio
Repertoire
Traditional Irish Songs
- Black Velvet Band
- Carrickfergus
- Dirty Old Town
- Fairytale Of New York
- Fields Of Athenry
- Follow Me Up To Carlow
- Green Fields Of France
- Kilgarry Mountain
- Muirshin Durkin
- O Danny Boy (Londonderry Air)
- Ride On
- Seven Drunken Nights
- Star Of The County Down
- Step It Up Mary
- The Belle Of Belfast City
- The Dawning Of The Day
- The Irish Rover
- Town I Loved So Well
- Wild Mountain Thyme
- Wild Rover
There are lots more to choose from, plus an infinite stream of irresistible Celtic dance-tunes and other melodies drawn from traditional sources.
Pyramid and Parr Hall, Warrington: St Patrick’s Day –
Shannagh, a band that is a veteran of several Irish tours and always a popular draw at Manchester’s Irish Festival played crowd pleasing songs and tunes – the best in traditional music on St Pat’s Day. We thoroughly enjoyed their performance.
Christine & Blake’s Anniversary –
Just a quick note to say thank you for your outstanding performance last month. You managed to get even the grumpiest of people up and dancing, and we had so many compliments on how fun you made the evening. Thanks again!
Mrs Hardwick’s Party –
Shannagh provided us with the perfect music for our evening. We wanted something that everyone could join in with, a lovely band.
Dave & Carol’s Family Celebration –
Shannagh were fantastic from start until finish, kept everyone on their feet and the caller was patient for even the most amateur of us.