Assorted goodies

Niall Toner's journal of his experiences at this year's MerleFest appeared in this article (left) in the Sunday Times of 11 May. You may need to use the zoom on your browser to read it; Niall thinks the piece is also available online.

The article covers Niall's experiences as traveller, bandleader (with Kelvin Busher (bass) from Wexford, Richie Foley (mandolin) from Youghal, and Dan Mahoney (dobro) from the USA), judge at the 22nd Annual Chris Austin Songwriting Contest, performer, and speaker in a workshop on the links between Irish and American music.

Niall adds at the end of the article that he and 'Roots Freeway' will be returning to the air on 7 June, and that he is preparing for the recording of his next album in Nashville later this year.

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Thanks to Gary Gene Ferguson (USA) for news of two special additional shows in his forthcoming tour with Gary Alan Ferguson (USA) in Ireland this July.

The new dates are Sat. 26 July, at the Seamus Ennis Cultural Centre, Naul, Co. Dublin, with Charlie McGettigan (with whom Gary G. has often performed on earlier tours in Ireland); and Sun. 27 July, in a Ferguson, Holmes, and Henry Reunion at the Phil Murphy Weekend in Colfer's, Carrig-on-Bannow, Co. Wexford. The dates have been added to the BIB calendar and to the post that we published last Friday.

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Thanks to Paul Lee of Musiclee.ie for a reminder of the show by Kevin Montgomery and Clive Barnes at the DC Music Club, 20 Camden Row, Dublin 2 (very near Whelan's), this coming Friday (16 May). This show was first mentioned on the BIB on 28 April.