Good times coming soon - and just past

Thanks to Sharon Loughrin for the news that this Saturday (8 October) the Knotty Pine String Band (above) will be playing at the Market Place Theatre in Armagh city as part of the Cajun Bluegrass Club series, with Cajun dinner at 6.30 before the show at 8.30. Full details are on the Market Place website. On the following Thursday (13 Oct.) the Broken String Band will be playing in Magherafelt Library, Co. Londonderry. The show (part of Magherafelt District Council's Octoberfest) starts at 7.00 p.m., and admission is free. Full address, contact data, and a location map can be found on the library website.

In Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, Sharon and Arnie will be presenting Southern Tenant Folk Union at their Red Room on Tuesday 8 November, and near the end of the month the powerful 'trad-plus' Four Men & a Dog will be on in Cookstown's Burnavon Theatre on Sunday 27 November. Sharon adds: 'This one usually sells out well in advance; they're really popular up here.'

Sharon also reports two very enjoyable events over the past weekend: Janet Dowd's private 'Shedfest' in Loughgall, with musicians including Patsy Toman, Colin Henry, and Janet Holmes; and the Down from the Mountain concert on Sunday 2 Oct., the closing event of this year's Ards Guitar Festival. The BIB gave notice of this show on 17 Sept.; full details of it are here.