The Wilders in Ireland, 21-8 May 2011

Thanks to Sharon Loughrin for news of the next trip to Ireland by the Wilders (USA). In a few days time they will be appearing at Celtic Connections in Glasgow before fifteen shows in England - but not over here. Ireland's turn comes in May: the Wilders' next tour begins with the Shetland Folk Festival at the end of April, followed by shows in Scotland up to 20 May, and then:

Sat. 21 May The Black Box, Belfast
Sun. 22 May Wexford Arts Centre
Mon. 23 May Raheen House Hotel, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary
Wed. 25 May Private function, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone
Thurs. 26 May Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
Fri. 27 May Nesbitt Arms, Ardara, Co. Donegal
Sat. 28 May Seamus Ennis Cultural Centre, Naul, Co. Dublin

followed by five more shows in Britain. The full schedules for both the Jan.-Feb. tour and the April-June tour can be seen on the website of the Brookfield Knights agency, where there are also details of visits to Ireland by such bands as Pokey LaFarge & the South City Three, the Wiyos, and - imminent now - the Fox Hunt & the Henry Girls. Sharon notes that

Loudon Temple from Brookfield Knights reports on Facebook that the Fox Hunt and Henry Girls have been really well received at Celtic Connections and have even been asked to record some material for a new music program on BBC Alba and BBC2. I've asked him to keep us posted...

and adds that in the 7th Annual Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival and Song Writing Convention, Janet Holmes will be sharing the stage with Nanci Griffith in a 'Songwriters in the round' night at the Empire, Belfast, on Thurs. 24 Feb. If 2011 keeps on like this, it'll be hard to manage to see everything that deserves seeing.