Longford workshop programme now published

Thanks to Chris Keenan and Kathy Casey of the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival for the full schedule of the ample workshop programme, which can now be seen on the festival's website.

The schedule runs from 10.00 a.m. on Saturday 25 September to 4.00 p.m. the following day, and includes classes on bluegrass 5-string banjo by Ross Nickerson, Leon Hunt, and Barry Abernathy, old-time banjo (Bill Whelan), Irish tenor banjo (Enda Scahill, Gerry O'Connor, Tom Cussen), mandolin (Adam Ramsey, John Tomlin), dobro (Donnie Winters), traditional fiddle (Dan and Lloyd MacDonald), bluegrass fiddle (Jim Van Cleve), guitar (Will Kimbrough, Jake Stargel), singer/songwriter (Niall Toner, Rodney Crowell, George Harper), bluegrass vocals (Josh Shilling, Jason Moore), and other traditional instruments (Geraldine and Eamonn Cotter, Pat Broderick, Johnny Donnellan).

A lecture on the history of the banjo will be given by Pat Costello at 2.00 p.m. on Saturday. Full details of the schedule are here.

Prices for individual workshops are €20 each. For extra value, the Festival offers a choice of two COMBO passes, giving access to the nightly concerts and as many workshops as you can fit in. The 3-day COMBO pass is €135 (Fri., Sat., Sun.) and the 4-day COMBO pass is €150 (Thurs., Fri., Sat., Sun.).