Even with Fairground Attraction she had recorded a number of Scottish folk standards, such as ‘I Loved A Lad', ‘Jock O'Hazeldean' and ‘Ay Fond Kiss'. Nonetheless, it was her return to Scotland around the time of her father's death that prompted her to return to Celtic music with renewed interest. She started to re-immerse herself in the traditional culture of Scotland and was drawn, in particular, to the poetry and song of Robert Burns.
Even though she felt like she was playing with fire – you can still get burnt at the stake as a heretic in Scotland for putting a foot out of place in a Burns song – she also felt like the ghost of the poet was egging her on. She started out with four songs and thought if she could make it to eight, she would have enough for a gig. But before she knew it, she had 10 and an album was born.
A whole bunch of Scottish musicians got together to breathe life into the recording, which was made in a little studio space Reader found in Glasgow.
She'll be returning to Ireland for a short run of gigs starting off with a show originally intended for the Seamus Ennis Centre, but moved to accomodate the larger numbers to the Draoicht Arts Centre in Blanchardstown on Saturday July 10. The following evening finds her at the Glens Centre in Manorhamilton and on Monday July 12 she'll be in Dunlewey Lakeside Centre in Donegal. On Wednesday July 14 she makes an appearance in the vibey old church in Rathfriland that houses the Bronte Music Club, and on Thursday July 15, she plays as part of this year's Celtic Fusion festival in Castlewellan, Co. Down. She wraps up this short burst of activity with a visit to Belfast's Droichead Centre on Friday July 16.
Also performing at Celtic Fusion in Castlewellan over the four days of this year's festival are Kila, who appear at Maginn's Bar on Friday July 16, and Mick Hanly and Arty McGlynn, who appear at the Lodge Cultural Centre on the same evening. On Saturday July 17 Tupelo (that's Tupelo, not Uncle Tupelo, don't lose the run of yourself) perform in Mulholland's Bar while Brian Houston performs at Hillyard House. Sharon Shannon, accompanied on this occasion by Dezi Donnelly, Jim Murray and Gerry O'Connor, will be on stage at the Lodge Cultural Centre.
On Sunday there is a free open air concert in the Upper Square lasting from 3pm until 9pm, which features young musicians from Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, Donal Lunny's Cirrus band, West of Galway and At The Racket. Many of the performers will also be playing, again for free, at Mulholland's Bar during the course of the day. St. Malachy's School will be the venue for a day of ceili competitions and set dancing.
If you can't wait that long to see Mick Hanly and Arty McGlynn, there's a chance to see them in the Seamus Ennis Centre in Naul on Thursday June 17.
The following evening Stacey Earle and Mark Stuart bring their distinctive brand of Americana to the venue. On Sunday June 20 bluegrass band Prison Love will be out on the square outside the venue for an early evening gig with a difference. PJ and Andrea Matthews put the "clann" into this month's Clanntrai on Sunday June 27. Vancouver's Paperboys visit the Seamus Ennis Centre on Tuesday June 29. Described as "Guinness with a Tequila chaser" the band, who'll be seriously hard-pressed to fit on the stage of the little venue, play a mix up of Americana with some ska, soca – hi-life and all sorts of other influences thrown into the cookpot for good measure. They've established a luminous reputation as a live act both in their native Canada and in the US, picking up Juno Awards and a rabidly loyal following. Now it's time for the boys (and girls – there are Papergirls too) to see if they can repeat the magic here.
The line-up has been announced for this year's Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival, which takes place in Longford from Thursday September 23 to Sunday September 26. The festival kicks off this year with a "Bluegrass Thursday" featuring Tupelo, Bending The Strings and others. Friday's acts are Brian Kennedy, the Niall Toner Band and Shaskeen, which features Tom Cussen, who makes the popular Clareen banjos and who I would imagine won't get a minute's peace all weekend.
The line-up for Saturday September 25 includes Mountain Heart, Iris deMent, We Banjo 3 and Chris Meehan and his Redneck Friends. The closing evening features Gerry O'Connor on a break from his frolics with Sharon Shannon, Rig the Jig, the George Harper Band and an appearance from Rodney Crowell.
Although Pipe Bands are more normally associated with Scotland, the St. Laurence O'Toole Pipe Band from Dublin have been making a name for themselves picking up the "Champion of Champions" title a couple of years back in the fiercely competitive world of bagpipes. Along with the Field Marshall Montgomery band from North of the border, who placed second in last year's World Championship, they'll be off to "the Worlds", as they're known in piping circles, in Glasgow this August. The finals take place at Glasgow Green on Saturday August 14. Last year they played at Dublin Airport on their way over. Who knows? They may repeat the performance this year.