Mules & Men back to Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival

Mules & Men: (rear, l-r): Mark Corry, John Denby, Luke Coffey

(front) Lily Sheehan

Thanks to Karen Cheevers for this press release:

The Dunmore East International Bluegrass Festival has an exciting range of international and home-grown acts lined up for the free four-day festival in the Co. Waterford village from 23 August to 26 August.

Fans of bluegrass, honky-tonk, blues, country, Americana, and rhythm ‘n’ roots are in for a real musical treat as the picturesque village’s International Bluegrass Festival will feature 14 artists playing almost 40 free gigs throughout the village.

Mules & Men is a four-piece Irish band comprised of Lily Sheehan, Luke Coffey, John Denby, and Mark Corry. Bound together by a shared love of folk and bluegrass, Mules & Men have been reinterpreting these classic sounds into a unique and contemporary style of their own, drawing on influences that are wide-ranging. With three-part harmonies, blazing string playing, and inspired original material, this band has been bringing audiences to a standstill all over the country.

No strangers to the Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival, Mules & Men performed at the festival in 2016 and are excited to be back again this year.

Luke Coffey of Mules & Men said the experience was memorable and one they are looking forward to repeating. 'We were in the fledgling stage of our career when we performed in Dunmore East two years ago and the reaction by the audiences to our music gave us a massive confidence boost. Our style could be described as Acid Celtgrass, which is lively, energetic, and doesn’t take itself too seriously.'

'We’re really looking forward to coming back to Co. Waterford later in the summer. The Dunmore East Bluegrass festival has always been a great supporter of new Irish bands and it’s a wonderful opportunity for young bands to share the stages with the greats such as the Honeycutters and Whiskey Deaf.'

Mules & Men have had a busy few months with the release of their first single, 'Procrastination Blues' last month and the release of their debut album Thinking sideways scheduled for September. They’ll also appear at Electric Picnic and KnockanStockan, capping an eventful year.


In good company, Mules & Men will perform in the village with Amanda Anne Platt and the Honeycutters, Whiskey Deaf, Demolition String Band, Woodbine, Mons Wheeler Band, the Backyard Band, Brother’s Parker, Pilgrim St, Kiss My Grass, Bert and Henry, Charlie Reader, Vickers Vimy, and Whistle.

The 24th Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival, Co. Waterford, kicks off on Thursday evening, 23 August, at the Spinnaker Bar and Restaurant, and heralds the start of fourteen bands, playing almost forty free gigs throughout the village.

For more information visit www.discoverdunmore.com or keep up to date on the Discover Dunmore East Facebook page.

Mick Daly is available for interview on 051 878 832 / 087 256 2899 or e-mail.