Tom Hanway & his Bluegrass Pals in Mullingar TONIGHT

Tom Hanway (right) with fellow banjo legend Butch Robins at Derry (photo: Denise Hanway)
Tom Hanway & his Bluegrass Pals play the Greville Arms Hotel in Mullingar tonight, Saturday 13 February, 10.00 p.m. The band plays their unique blend of bluegrass, newgrass, and alt-country music. This is their first appearance at the Greville Arms and they are expecting a fantastic night in Mullingar's premier hotel.

Personnel:
Tom Hanway (guitar/vocals)
Well known in bluegrass, folk, blues, country, and rock circles for his ability to shift between styles and instruments, Tom began playing the 5-string banjo in 1985 and soon established himself as one of New York City’s most creative banjo players and composers. He has helped folk, bluegrass, rock, and country artists on dozens of recordings on both sides of the Atlantic.

Barry Coffey (guitar/vocals)
Barry Coffey grew up in the country area outside Mullingar in the '80s and '90s and was involved in music from the age of 16. He has played with many top Irish bands through the years and co-formed the Whiskey River Band in 2004. Barry’s songwriting is decidedly influenced by American music, especially country, bluegrass, blues, southern rock, and jazz.

Howard Whelan (mandolin/guitar/vocals)
Howard is a talented multi-instrumentalist and is adept on guitar, mandolin, and fiddle. He is also a fine singer. Howard is a great exponent of acoustic music ranging from Irish traditional to bluegrass and folk. His influences include Tim O'Brien, Ricky Skaggs, the Saw Doctors, and the Chieftains.

Justin Whelan (bass/vocals)
Justin was a founding member of the Marbles band back in the late 1990s. They received critical acclaim and released several successful albums. His influences include the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, and Led Zeppelin, to name but a few. In recent years he has developed a love for hard-driving acoustic music and especially bluegrass. With his solid rock influence he gives the band a powerful newgrass edge.

Pete Mulkearns (fiddle/vocals)
Pete 'saws' the fiddle with the Pals, also playing mandolin and guitar. Pete has worked with the Firehouse Show Band and the New Smokies. He is an ardent country music fan and one of Ireland’s top exponents of country and bluegrass fiddling.

Contact: Tom Hanway
Home: 043-33-46340
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