Tune into Dublin’s Near FM 90.3 on Wed April 28th, at 11.30pm to hear another episode of ‘Bright Side Of The Road’ recorded at The ICC Hammersmith London.

This weeks’ show focuses on the high end of real traditional Irish music, often known in Irish trad circles as ‘the pure drop’. The show highlights the traditional Irish trad family band ‘The Quinns’, featuring London’s Queen of Irish ‘trad’ and Director of ‘The Return to London Town Festival’, the great fiddle player Karen Ryan, along with her husband Pete Quinn (on keyboards) and their twin daughters Annie Quinn, (on uilleann pipes, flute, whistle), and Katie Quinn, (on melodeon, accordion).

The show will also feature tracks from Seamus Begley, Steve Cooney, Brendan McGlinchey and Lucy Farr.

Henry Scott Irvine presents the weekly Irish music and arts show, with special guests, the ICC’s Cultural Director, Rosalind Scanlon and Film-maker Sé Merry Doyle, who directed the series of 14 lockdown concerts, “The ICC Seisiúns”.

‘Bright Side of The Road’ is on Dublin’s Near FM 90.3 every Wednesday at 11.30pm. After being Broadcast on Near FM, all episodes of the show will be available to hear on our Radio page.

About Karen Ryan and The Quinn Family
Karen Ryan is one of London’s greatest Irish fiddle players and one of the finest exponents of Irish traditional music in the UK; also the Director of ‘Irish Music and Dance in London (IMDL)’ she has spent decades ensuring that real and pure Irish trad is passed onto future generations.

In this radio show, you’ll be able to hear just how Karen, along with Pete, have so beautifully passed their love of pure Irish music on to their twin daughters, who are already making headway on the Irish trad scene. Annie and Katie have performed many times at the ICC, in The Gleann Catha Céilí Band.

Pete and Karen have recorded seven albums together, including Karen’s debut solo album ‘The Coast Road’ on Cló Iar Connacht records. They both perform in Karen’s band ‘The London Lasses’, in ‘The Macnamara Céilî Band’, in ‘The Trad Gathering’, ‘Artisan Row’, ‘The Gleann Catha Céilí Band’ and ‘In Good Company’.

They’ve appeared together at Glastonbury, The Royal Albert Hall, Cambridge Folk Festival, Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Philadelphia Irish Festival, Cork Folk Festival, Cadogan Hall, Dublin City Hall and on a large number of radio and TV shows, including a memorable appearance in ‘Eastenders’.

Recently The Quinns appeared in the ICC’s Film Series “The ICC Seisiúns”. To watch their full concert click here.

Listen to the show here:

Donie speaks with Karen Ryan, the Queen Of Irish Trad: