'Come West Along the Road' Festival, Galway, 15-21 Dec.

[Press release]

Nashville and Irish songwriting greats Jim Rooney and Mick Hanly are to headline an exciting week of American folk music, featuring the best of visiting and local musicians on the Americana music scene.

The festival, which is sponsored by Stella Artois and the Crane Bar in Galway city (venue for all the events), will include a great variety of American folk music: Cajun, bluegrass, old-time, blues, country, and folk.

The packed programme, which consists of twelve sessions and gigs over seven days, will see other household names perform such as Corkman Mick Daly (Any Old Time and the Lee Valley String Band); Lena Ullman, Johnny Moynihan, and Frank Hall of the Monks; Arty McGlyn; five-string banjo supremo Tom Hanway; Maimin Cajun Band members Jimmy Fitzgerald, Paul Gunning, and John Martin; and many, many more.

Thursday 15 December
9.30 p.m. Greg Cotter, Mary Flanagan (country/folk)

Friday 16 December
7.00 p.m. Jimmy Fitzgerald, John Martin, and Paul Gunning (Maimim/Cajun)
9.30 p.m. The Badbelly Project: Tom Hanway (NY/USA) and Michael O’Connor (blues/gospel/bluegrass)

Saturday 17 December
7.00 p.m. Chad Dughi and Friends (Hawaii/USA/folk)
9.30 p.m. (d/s) Ruth Dillon and Bernie O’Mahoney (country/folk)
9.30 p.m. (u/s) Big Danny Gallagher (NJ/USA/blues)

Sunday 18 December
7.00 p.m. Lena Ullman, Johnny Moynihan, and Frank Hall (N. Mexico, USA/old time)
9.30 p.m. (d/s) Greg Cotter and Mary Flanagan (country/folk)
9.30 p.m. (u/s) Pete Lamb (UK), Rob Stein (USA) Darren Roberts, and Cormac Dunne(honky-tonk and country)

Monday 19 December
9.30 p.m. (u/s c/c €12.50) Mick Hanly (country/folk)

Tuesday 20 December
9.30 p.m. Ruth Dillon, Pete Lamb, Ivor Ottley, Tom Portman (UK) (contemporary bluegrass)

Wednesday 21 December
9.30 p.m. Jim Rooney (USA), Mick Daly, and Arty McGlynn (country/old time)

Contact: Mick Crehan, 087 224-5637; mickcrehan@eircom.net