Live on BBC Radio 2... (March 17th 2004)
Happy
St. Patrick's Day to one and all! This year North Cregg celebrated the
national holiday in Connemara, Co. Galway where Mike Harding of BBC Radio
2 threw a house party and invited a few musical guests around to record
a very special one-hour show.
North Cregg, Paul Brady, Eleanor Shanley, Frankie Lane and Paul Kelly
provided the music and a great show it turned out to be. The result was
aired on Radio 2 on St. Patrick's night accross the UK.
The party in Connemara continued well into the night with a session til
the early hours thanks to Mike Harding & crew who provided some very
fine hospitality.
Click here
to see photos of the party on BBC Radio 2's website.
St Patrick's Day in Dublin... (March 17th 2004)
The Creggies were also performing in Dublin city centre on the big day
when over 5000 people thronged Earlsfort Terrace to join in the St Patrick's
Fest Ceili.
North Cregg along with Four Men and a Dog and The Kilfenora Ceili Band
provided the entertainment as the sun was shining on Dublin for St Paddy
himself. The event was presented by Ireland's very own gaelgóir
popstar, Hector Ó hEochag�in!
North Cregg will appear in Dublin next on April 17th when they will play
The O'Reilly
Theatre for a very special show. Click here
to find out more.
Happy New Year... (January 11th 2004)
New Year greetings to one and all and hope your Christmas holidays were
good. The band would like to extend their thanks and appreciation to the
many many people that helped make 2003 North Cregg's most successful year
to date! The release of album number three and a return trip to the Milwaukee
Irish Fest were just a couple of highlights in a most enjoyable year.
The year ended on a high note with an appearance on Ireland's main TV
station, RTE 1, on December 23rd during Global Beats, a documentary on
The Festival of World Cultures 2003 held in Dun Laoighre. The Creggies
recorded a live set specially for the documentary during the festival
last August.
North Cregg take an extended Christmas break (!) until March when festival
season kicks off with a visit for the very first time to Herk-de-Stad
in Belgium for a one-day festival which will also feature the great Breton
flute player, Jean-Michel Veillon and Jamie Mc Menemy from Scotland.
March 17th is by far the biggest day in the Irish Music calendar around
the globe and this year North Cregg will be in Dublin performing at the
main St. Patrick's Day event. Check out the tourdates page for some new
dates just added. New dates are being added as they are confirmed so check
back regularly. Look forward to seeing ye out there in 2004!
On The Banks Of Our Own Lovely Lee... (November 27th 2003)
The Triskel Arts Centre, Cork on December 17th has been
announced as the next home concert for North Cregg. This will be the first
performance by the group in this beautiful theatre in the heart of Cork
City.
A limited number of tickets are now on sale for what promises to be a
very special one-off pre-Christmas concert by The Creggies in the hometown
of four of it's members. This will be just the second concert this year
in Cork by the band and will feature much of the material from the new
album as well as a few surprises! Booking from The Triskel box office
at 021 4272022.
Willie Week in Armagh.. (November 27th 2003)
The band recently played in their second home, Armagh City, at the 10th
William Kennedy Piping Festival, an excellent festival run by The Armagh
Pipers Club. North Cregg were joined by special guest Ross Ainslie on
highland pipes for a few sets and the addition of the Scottish piper was
a tremendous success almost lifting the roof off the Armagh City Hotel!
Our thanks to Brian Vallely and The Armagh Pipers for the wonderful hospitality
all weekend.
A CD of live highlights from the previous nine festivals was released
this year and is a real gem. Click here
to purchase the new album from MadForTrad.com. Enjoy!
Cape Canaveral at The Corner House as Summer At My Feet is up and away...
(November '03)
"When
I was growing up, a slide was something down in Fitzgerald's Park, a fiddle
was something you did when the boss wasn't around and I won't say what
a hornpipe was!!"
- the words of Conal Creedon speaking at the launch party of 'Summer
At My Feet' as Cork's most famous writer paid tribute to North Cregg's
wide appeal to both lovers and newcomers alike to Irish music.
The new album was officially launched in Cork's home to traditional music
courtesy of Fergal MacGabhann at The Corner House while Beamish &
Crawford provided some fine local beverages in the grand old tradition
of bringing something new into the world.
Attended by many of Cork's finest musicians as well as families and friends,
the launch party saw The Creggies play an hour long set showcasing much
of the new material from 'Summer At My Feet', the group's third album.
Celebrations carried on through the night as The Lee Vally String Band
entertained the masses bluegrass style from their regular Monday night
corner along with well known special guest, Jim Rooney.
The
launch took place in between two highly successful trips to the UK where
the band played concerts in London, Norwich, Birmingham, Morecambe and
beyond to many familiar as well as new faces.
Their third appearance at the Hammersmith Irish Centre in London was
made all the more special when Martin and Christy's brother Mike Leahy
appeared as special guest for the night singing many of his own excellent
songs.
Click here for
latest reviews of 'Summer At My Feet'.
Up Cork and c'mon Armagh!!!... (September '03)
The
sporting fans in North Cregg have loads to celebrate so far this year
as Cork have made it to the All-Ireland Hurling Final and Armagh have
reached their their second All-Ireland Football final in a row!
Sunday September 14th is the date when Cork hurlers will take the stage
in Croke Park against the mighty Kilkenny while the footballers of Armagh
will face Tyrone in an all Ulster clash on September 28th.
We received this photo of Caoimhin in frantic training hoping to get
a last minute call-up onto the Armagh team as hopes of finding a ticket
for the big occasion were fading! Cllr Paudie Kelleher-Rae from the city
of Kilgarvan, Co. Kerry and founder of ABA (Anyone But Armagh), has been
rumoured to be supplying Tyrone followers with free tickets for the match
in revenge for last year's All-Ireland defeat of Kerry at the hands of
Armagh.
However, in a bizarre retort, the fiddler Vallely is now offering free
copies of North Cregg's latest album signed by both Armagh members of
the band in exchange for a ticket to the All-Ireland final! Anybody wishing
to take Caoimhin up on the offer should email [email protected].
Complete confidentiality is assured!
and I awoke with 'Summer At My Feet''... (August '03)
It's
been many months in the making but North Cregg's latest album entitled
'Summer At My Feet' is out now on the Greentrax label and available in
a record store near you!
Featuring the magnificent voice of newest member, Fiona Kelleher, 'Summer
At My Feet' marks yet another milestone in the development of North Cregg.
Songs and instrumentals are filled with humour and spontaniety from the
bouncy opening track, The Pitchfork Reel, to the animated Swallow Sing
and the epic closing track, Fred Finn's Polka.
Produced by Donald Shaw of Capercaillie in Glasgow, the album also features
the excellent Ewan Vernal on double bass.
The band will be on tour to promote 'Summer At My Feet' over the next
few months starting off with a return visit to the Milwaukee Irish Fest
in the USA before heading to England to visit Bridgenorth and Towersey
Festivals. Check out the tourdates section of our website for full details
of our tourdates.
Non c'e due sensa tre!!... (June '03)
(Nothings happens twice but it happens thrice!)
Album
number three is in the final stages of mixing and ready to be unleashed
upon the wider world very shortly!!
Donald Shaw and Kim Planert at Secret Music Studios up in Glasgow have
been burning the midnight oil of late putting the finishing touches to
the album which will be officialy released on August 1st.
More good news is that the album, which will be entitled 'Summer At
My Feet', will be released on the Greentrax label which will ensure
worldwide distribution.
The album will feature all brand-new tracks including the cracking 'Fred
Finns Polka', more duelling pianos, songs in Irish and English and
a few surprises along the way!
The album will be for sale on this website as soon as it becomes available
so check back again shortly for more updates.
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