As the classic Irish weather crashed down upon St. Anne's Park on Friday, many Dermot Kennedy fans found themselves sipping watered-down cider as they danced in brown converse that were once white. Braving the elements, however, Dermot Kennedy gave a stunning performance – with the sun setting as his headline slot began.

Walking into St. Anne's Park felt like walking into the ultimate summer festival. People laid their ponchos out on the grass and sprawled themselves out as the weather went through vicious cycles of rain to sun. Regardless, the unpredictable nature of our climate didn't stop them from having a ball.

Sarcastic Sounds was the first to open the show, taking to the stage in darkly colored overalls, playing the ukulele in between tracks. His set had a real feel-good buzz to it – and was timed beautifully with a much-welcomed guest appearance from the sun.

Shortly after, we saw James Vincent McMorrow take to the stage in all his glory. The Irish singer left little to be desired as his cool setlist had everyone on their feet. His rendition of 'Higher Love' was particularly popular among the masses. 'Planes in the Sky' was also a hit as I witnessed at least four people attempting to Shazam the track amongst the revelry. He bid the audience adieu after a wonderful performance – perfectly priming the audience for the main man himself.

It was around 9pm when Dermot arrived on stage. Spirits were high and ponchos were binned. People ran (or in some cases, slid) toward the stage after collecting several trays of pints to avoid the long queues again. Opening with 'Lost', he was greeted by his adoring fans who gave him a warm welcome home.

Crowds at Dermot Kennedy's gig at St.Anne's Park.
Photo: Miguel Ruiz.

The Rathcoole native topped the UK and Ireland with Without Fear when it was released back in 2019. Now, coming up to its third birthday, it's as timeless as ever. The lyrics remain meaningful and the poetic verses always remind me of work by Matt Corby or Ben Howard – two of the most underrated artists of our generation, in my humble opinion. Dermot's voice is still as rich and resonant as ever and he demonstrated that throughout his powerful setlist.

And the concertgoers made sure to let him know they were familiar with his lyrics, as he broke into 'Power Over Me', followed by 'All My Friends', and a handful of more classic tracks.

'For Island Fires and Family' saw a whole new rendition that was so hauntingly beautiful it almost hushed the crowd. Joined by three backing singers, the arrangement had a choral feel, with perfect harmonies.

As expected, 'Better Days' saw a triumphant response from the audience. The catchy, feel-good track always acts as a pick-me-up for me, and evidently many others. He certainly proved that better days were, and still are, coming!

After belting many other of his classics, such as 'Giants,' 'Moments Passed,' and 'Glory,' he moved swiftly onto 'After Rain.'

This track has always been one that has resonated with me the most. He specifically requested that we sing along to the "You won't go lonely" section of the song.

It feels like many moons ago that the tickets originally went on sale for this gig. Covid was sweeping across the nation, and many people found themselves in pits of despair. It was a confusing time for everyone. People were out of work, school, and college and there is no doubt that there was an air of uncertainty and loneliness amongst the majority of us.

This song provided light at the end of the tunnel as many friends, lovers and families threw their arms around one another and sang along with him – an incredibly fitting moment considering the darkness of the last few months.

He ended with his latest release, 'Something to Someone', which should be paying rent on the airwaves at this stage – and deservedly so. The recently released track had everyone up dancing and proved to be the perfect track to end a perfect performance.

Later, after my fourth negative antigen test, I realised that Covid had not in fact gotten hold of me – I had clearly just put too much soul into 'Outnumbered'!

Dermot Kennedy at St. Anne's Park.
Photo: Miguel Ruiz.