ICC Festive Family Hooley

Gino Lupari

Gino Lupari  from Magherafelt Co. Derry, he too is a founding member of Four Men and a Dog. Gino is one of the most exciting and captivating Bodhran players to be found. He has travelled the globe, playing in all the major International folk festivals, including The Cambridge Folk Festival, Edmonton Folk Festival, (Canada) and The Woodford Fest, (Australia.) He is always in demand as a session and recording player and he has performed with top artists including Sinead O Connor, Shane McGowan and Lunasa. Recently he stepped in the world of TV, co-presenting the groundbreaking show on TG4, ‘Fleadh Live’ (from Derry.) He also has his own Radio show on BBC local radio.

The Devine Family

John, Joe and Caz Devine are three members of the same musical Family, with roots firmly planted in the Irish musical tradition, playing traditional Irish dance music, mixed with original and contemporary arrangements of Irish songs, on an inspired mix of instruments, including Uilleann Pipes, Banjo and Saxophone. 
Devines have been touring since 2011 and made history when they were amongst the first musicians to ever perform Irish music at a Royal reception in Buckingham Palace. 
They have produced three studio albums and an EP since conception in 2009.

A new album has been completed during the Covid lock down and will be launched in early 2022.

The Connolly Family

Born into a musical Connemara family (his father, Pat Connolly, is a sean-nos singer and All- Ireland winner from Gleann Catha, and his mother from Banteer, Cork), London born accordion player Gary Connolly began playing at the age of twelve under the tutelage of Co. Leitrum teacher, Tommy Maguire. A prominent figure on the London Irish music scene, Gary performed a solo concert slot at the 2006 and 2011 Return to London Town Festival and was extremely well received. His musical pursuits have taken him as far afield as Hong Kong and has appeared on Irish TV’s Ardan (TG4). He hosted the regular Sunday night sessions at the Auld Triangle innorth London for over twenty years, was the co-founder of the Auld Triangle Ceili Band and played regularly with his wife, fiddler Teresa Connolly, at the Grasna na nGael Ceili inHammersmith Irish Centre. In recent years, Gary and Teresa with their children, Ben and Ella and cousins, play regularly with the Gleann Catha ceili band.

The Quinn Family

The Legendary Quinn Family, an awesome four piece band which features London’s Queen of Irish trad music and the founding Director of the famous ‘Return To London Town Festival’ Karen Ryan, (on fiddle, banjo, whistle). Playing alongside her is husband Pete Quinn (on keyboards) and their twin daughters Annie Quinn (on uilleann pipes, flute, whistle), and Katie Quinn (on melodeon, accordion).

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 Irish trad is passed onto future generations.

In this film, you’ll be able to see just how Karen, along with Pete, have so beautifully passed their love of Irish music on to their twin daughters, who are already making headway on the Irish trad scene. Annie and Katie have performed many times here at the ICC, in The Gleann Catha Céilí Band and they’ve  also often performed on Raidió na Gaeltacht and on Clare FM.

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’.

The ICC Band – The Sessionists:

The Sessionists are comprised of musicians who attend the Friday Night Trad Sessions at the Irish Cultural Centre.  We formed the band in April ’22, with the encouragement and generous assistance of the ICC. Our aim is to promote Irish Traditional music and to highlight the talented musicians who visit and use the Centre. In a fitting tribute to the ICC’s Traditional Irish Music Education Program, some members of the band also attend music classes under the tutelage of renowned musicians Micheal Sweeney and Mick O’Connor.

It’s never too late to learn to play an instrument, so sign up for a class and come join the Sessionists!