Trad superstar set to ramble into Laois for Portlaoise show

Legend gets thrown around a bit too much nowadays but the word doesn't overstate the stature of a traditional Irish musician who will grace a Laois stage when his rambles into the county for a big Portlaoise concert. 

Matt, over the years, has been a member of ‘The Bothy Band’, ‘Planxty’ and ‘The Chieftains’. His three solo albums, as well as his trio recording with Tommy Peoples and Paul Brady in the late 70s, brought flute playing to a new level.

During his time with The Chieftains Matt share the stage with the maestro piper Paddy Moloney who, though a Dublin native, was fiercely proud of his Ballyfin roots in Laois where his parents hailed from.

Matt, John Carty on fiddle, together with Brian McGrath on piano, are undertaking a short Winter Rambles Tour around Ireland and will be appearing at the Laois Music Centre, Portlaoise in November. Together they will explore the rich and varied tapestry of the fiddle and flute tradition of north Connacht. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Kevin Conneff, Paddy Moloney and Matt Molloy of the Chieftains.

Born in London, but living in Boyle for over 25 years, John Carty has established himself among the elite of Irish traditional musicians. With three solo fiddle albums, two banjo albums, two group albums, and a sprinkling of recorded tenor guitar and flute music recordings under his belt, John Carty’s musical prowess has grown to great heights. He is also a member of the bands ‘At the Racket’ and ‘Patrick Street’. Most recently, John arranged and played all the traditional music elements in the film Brooklyn.

Both Matt and John are recipients of the prestigious TG4 Musician of the Year Award. They are delighted to be joined by much sought after pianist Brian McGrath. His subtle and imaginative playing is the perfect accompaniment to Matt and John’s unique duet. Brian has toured extensively, playing with all the biggest names in Irish traditional music, including Frankie Gavin, Noel Hill, John Carty, Matt Molloy, and Eleanor Shanley to name a few. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Pictured: Matt Molloy(flute) John Carty(fiddle) Brian McGrath(piano)

Their latest album Out of the Ashes was got its title from a saying by the great Johnny Watt Henry, who was a night owl who liked to keep musicians late into the night. If they made an attempt to leave, he would delay them by declaring: “What hurry is on ye lads? Hold on and I’ll rake up the gríosach here and see if I can’t pull another ‘quare’ tune out of the ashes for ye .... to be bringing home with ye”. So, this album is a salute to the great men and women of the past, like Johnny Henry, who nurtured the tradition against all the odds.

The show takes place on Friday, November 22 with doors opening at 7:30pm. Tickets are available on EventBrite at €15 for adults and €5 for children, as well as students of Laois School of Music. Early booking is strongly advised.

The Laois Music Centre houses both Laois School of Music and Music Generation Laois, and welcomes over 750 music students each week to take part in music classes, bands, orchestras, and ensembles. Open six days a week, with children as young as three, right up to adult learners, it proves, it is never too late to take up a musical instrument!