Dublin events in the next seven days

Mark O'Mahony of Prison Love reports:

Howdy friends,

Ready yourselves for some unseasonably hot Prison Love action Sham-ROCKing its way to you via the St Patrick's Festival, 'Big Day Out'!

No excuses: get your ifs and buts down to the Fanfare Area in Merrion Square at 12.15 and 3.15 this Sunday (15 March). There'll be lots of family fun stuff to do, so check out the Big Day Out website for all the skinny... Be good!

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Kevin Duffy, fiddle player with Tupelo (see our previous posts on the band) announces that later the same day (Sunday 15 March) this exciting new, original, acoustic roots band will be playing upstairs at Whelan's, admission €10. Their 'Blue gardenia' sounds like the work of one of the jazz-influenced Southern string bands of the 1930s.

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A few days later (Wed. 18th) the regular fortnightly show will be presented by Fair City Grass, Dublin's main purveyors of live bluegrass, at Mother Reilly's, Uppercross House Hotel, Upper Rathmines Road, Dublin 6; 9.45 p.m.

And the following day (Thurs. 19th) the McGrane Family - Brian (guitar, vocals), Noreen (vocals, autoharp), Jenny (guitar, vocals, steamtrain whistle) and Ellen (guitar, vocals) - with Gerry Fitzpatrick (dobro) and Con Butler (bass), will be playing the Cobblestone, Smithfield, Dublin, and would love to see all their friends there. Orla Keeshan of the Cobblestone says: 'Playing a mix of old-time American music, folk and blues; get ready to hear the best old-time family harmony singing this side of the Appalachian Mountains!' Doors open 8.30 p.m.; admission €5.