A Laois town will host renowned musician Seán Keane for a night of music this summer, in memory of a popular local musician.

Seán Finn of Conoboro road, Rathdowney sadly passed away last May. The local man was known to many for his natural flair for music.

His creativity and musical ear was passed on to his children, with Seán's sons Ciarán and Hugh known nationally for their folk music band The Finns.

Hugh is a founding member of the Rathdowney Arts Group (RAG), and the group have organised the Seán Keane concert in his memory.

"This May will be a year since our Dad passed away, and we'd like to mark it," Mr Finn told the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

"My Dad and Seán Keane were good friends, he knew him very well. They have a very similar style in music, so it seemed very fitting," he said.

"The concert isn't just in memory of Dad, we have always wanted to bring more concerts to Rathdowney. We have always talked about it and wanted to do it, and now we're putting it into action," Mr Finn explained.

"The church has put on a load of concerts, and they have all been really successful. We would like people in Rathdowney to have the chance to go to a concert and enjoy music, without needing to get a train to see someone. There are so many people locally who love music," he said.

The arts group have said that they hope this event will mark the start of many more concerts to be held in the town.

"We would love to put on more concerts in Rathdowney in the future too."

"Dad was such a well-known local musician, and he was a big inspiration to me. He and Seán have been friends since they were kids, as a young lad our Dad used to visit Delores in Galway, for a music session and a few pints.

"Apparently he gave Seán his first tin whistle, this would have been around 60 years ago," he said.

While The Finns are well known for their discography of catchy indie trad songs, they sadly never recorded a song with their late father.

"One regret is never recording with him, we just have videos of his performances in pubs. I don't think he was that person though, he never would have sat down in a studio, he was very traditional. He was very authentic," Mr Finn said.

This will be Seán Keane's second performance in the area, having performed in the Donaghmore Workhouse in 2019.

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Seán Keane Live in Rathdowney will take place in Rathdowney's Parochial Hall on Saturday, May 9 2026, from 8pm to 10pm.

Tickets are €33.15 per person and can be purchased on eventbrite here.

Alternatively, you can contact Rathdowney Arts Group at rathdowneyartsgroup@gmail.com. Buy your tickets early to avoid dissappointment!