The Sands Family On Saturday 31st July @ 8.30p.m  For the August weekend the Sands make their way from Germany, Australia, Turkey, the USA or wherever they happen to be and head back to Rostrevor to be together for almost the only time in the year. For the past few years we’ve been lucky enough to catch them and “cage” them long enough to come to Iontas with their very special and unique brand of song, music and fun.  Their performance is a cultural experience: a chance to enjoy and share in the craic with four superb performers who have the unique ability to make theior audience an integral and important part of the show.  This is the feel-good factor to the power of four.  Welcome them back.  Book online or on 042 9753400/1. 



Aisling Mc Cormilla's Band On Saturday 7th August @ 8.30pm  Aisling and her band, with Scott and Kate Griffin and Dwayne Kiernan are among the most accomplished young bands around.  They’re a band that run from classical to rock with consummate ease, are wonderful to listen to and, is the urge takes you, to get up and dance to.  Aisling is also a visual artist and her projected work on the walls will transform The Well during the gig. If you really appreciate excellence be there.  Book online or on 042 9753400/1. 



Draiocht On Saturday 14th August @ 8.30pm  Michael Rooney from Monaghan and June Mc Cormack from Sligo make up the magical Draíocht. Michael is an internationally recognized harpist and concertina player, as well as a tutor and producer on the Irish musical scene.  He is also a well known composer of traditional Irish music in Ireland, and many of his compositions can be heard on his CD 'Ocras'.  He is senior All-Ireland Champion on the harp and winner of the prestigious Granard and Keadue harp competitions on several occasions.  He recorded with 'The Chieftains' on their Grammy award winning CD entitled 'The Celtic Harp' and toured the US with the group.  In 2006 he published a book entitled 'Harp Tunes', which contains twenty three of his compositions.  June won the senior flute competition at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 1998.  In the same year she was presented with the Young Traditional Musician of the Year award by TG4 (Irish Language T.V. Channel).  She has published two flute tutorial books, Fliúit (2006) and Fliúit 2 (2009).  Together they are – yes, magic!  Book online or on 042 9753400/1. 


   
Duke Special On Saturday 21st August @ 8.30pm  2009 was a busy year for the hard-working Duke Special, and 2010 is already proving to be equally busy and exciting.  His album, I Never Thought This Day Would Come was released in the UK in April.  He completed 2 tours of the UK, and a tour of Ireland, supported BellX1 in Europe and performed at sold-out shows supporting Snow Patrol at Belfast Odyssey, Duffy in Copenhagen and Paolo Nutini in Paris.  He also managed to fit in a gig in Barcelona and appearances at an all-star show celebrating the re-opening of Belfast’s Ulster Hall and at Ireland’s Oxygen Festival, and still had time to star in a TV show piano-duel with his long-time nemesis Neil Hannon on RTE’s The View, as well as shows at Greenbelt Festival and London’s ULU.  In August, he also curated and headlined his very own one-day festival, DUKEBOX in Custom House Square, in the heart of Belfast city centre.  It featured many friends and special guests including The Magic Numbers, BellX1, Jerry Fish & The Mudbug Club, David Kitt, Panama Kings.   In the autumn, Duke ventured into the world of theatre, appearing in 65 performances of the Bertolt Brecht play Mother Courage and her Children at the National Theatre in London, directed by Deborah Warner and starring Fiona Shaw in the lead role of Mother Courage.  During this production, Duke and his band went into the studio to record an album of the twelve songs from the play, and 2010 sees the release of this album and a brand new project: A Book, The Stage & The Silver Screen, a triple CD set (which will also be released as single CD’s).  And, luckily for us, he still has time to return to Iontas Theatre.  See www.dukespecial.com.  Book online or on 042 9753400/1. 

Talks With Foreign Nationals The Artistic Director of Iontas wants to talk to foreign nationals about the arts content they would like in the Iontas programmes. If interested ring your name to 042-9753400/1 or contact arts@iontascastleblayney.ie.

Eimear Quinn on Saturday 28th August @ 8.30pm. 

“A beautiful young woman with a cherubs voice that floats in an ethereal cloud of it’s own making” (Sunday Independent)

Dublin born Eimear Quinn grew up in a family where singing (and choral music in particular) was hugely important and gained an honors degree in music from National University of Ireland, Maynooth. In 1995, she joined the Celtic chamber choir ANÚNA singing as one of their principal soloists for a year-and-a-half in cities all over Europe and recorded two albums with the group. The world was introduced to Eimear Quinn as her ethereal voice soared, singing the mystical lyrics of Brendan Graham's "The Voice" at the 1996 Eurovision Song Contest. Soon afterwards she began touring, performing in Australia, America and all over Europe in venues including The Royal Albert Hall, The Sydney State Theatre and the Vorst National Brussels. She also made many television appearances and also presented Television and Radio programming for RTÉ and TV3. She continued to tour in Ireland both as a solo performer but also with other artists such as Liam Lawton. Eimear performed 'Voice Of An Angel' on Liam's platinum selling album 'Another World'. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of her Eurovision win she released the album 'Gatherings', a collection of music she had recorded over the previous decade. This was Eimear’s third solo disc and followed ‘Winter Fire and Snow’ and ‘Through The Lens of a Tear’; a song cycle on the legend of Tristan and Iseult, co-composed with Pól Brennan. 

Her latest album released in December 2007 is ‘O Holy Night’ a collection of carols, ancient chants and new compositions from Eimear, which was inspired by the overwhelming reaction to her performance of ‘O Holy Night’ live on Ryan Tubridy’s Radio 1 show the previous year. Singing a selection of compositions from her successful albums, Iontas is delighted to welcome Carrickmacross resident Eimear to its theatre for a truly breathtaking experience. 

Book online or on 042 9753400/1.