Savannah Irish Festival

This article was originally posted for the 2013 Savannah Irish Festival.

Fun will abound at the "largest Irish Festival in the South" -- The Savannah Irish Festival February 14th - 16th. The Irish love to laugh and have a great time and this family event will see number of favorites from past years return and new acts never before seen will be making the journey to share their talent in their debut appearance at the 2014 Savannah Irish Festival. 

In 2014, the Savannah Irish Festival will be celebrating its 22nd annual event and the theme is "music, laughter, and dance." The festival marks the beginning of the "St. Patrick's Day Season" that runs from mid-February through mid-March. 

Any fan of traditional Irish music will enjoy the four man ensemble Pure Drop. Its members include John Whelen, named Traditionalist of the Year" by Irish Echo magazine. Brian Conway is a master fiddle player who's passion, skill and finesse with the instrument has led to him being considered one of the best fiddle player in the world. Máirtín de Cógáin is a dynamic singer, dancer and storyteller who's captivated audiences around the world. Don Penzien is an accomplished accompanist who frequently performs with the best Irish singers on tour. 

Maureen & Teresa Ennis are Canadian-born sisters who learned to sing not long after they learned to walk. The are winners of both the JUNO Award and SOCAN Award and they've traveled around the world performing contemporary and traditional Celtic music on four continents. The sisters recorded their first six albums as the "Ennis Sisters" but as they have now rebranded themselves as "Ennis." 

Seamus Kennedy is an Irish entertainer like no other! He's one the award for Best Irish/Celtic Male Vocalist for 13 consecutive years from the Washington Area Music Association. In addition to his singing talents, he also writes many of the songs he performs. As a comedian, this means many of his songs are incredibly funny and they bring joy to the audiences he meets. The Irish American News called him "The hardest working superstar in the whole business....who seems to have the energy of ten men." One of the reasons the Savannah Irish Festival will be so much fun this year is Seamus Kennedy! 

Seven Nations is one of the hardest working bands in music today blending bagpipes and the fiddle with the sounds of drums, guitars and bass. They tour 10 months out of the year bringing their energetic performances to music lovers and pushing the limits of Celtic music. They Orlando-based band has carved out its own sound to the delight of fans. The bands devotion to Celtic tradition can be discovered in its own name, which references the seven original Celtic nations of Ireland, Scotland, Galecia, Wales, Cornwall, Isle of Man, and Brittany.

Brendan Nolan is a treasure to the Irish music scene. He's appeared at dozens of Irish Festivals in recent years and his travels have taken him to diverse places such as Dallas, where he performed at the North Texas Irish Festival to Muskegon, Michigan were the he entertained the crowds at the Great Lakes Irish Festival. Steeped with a rich knowledge of traditional Irish music, Nolan is a gifted songwriter who pens and performs his own original works as well. He was born near Dublin, Ireland and now resides in Florida. 

Other Musical Performers at the 2013 Savannah Irish Festival 

Rounding out the musical performances are Na Fidléirí, The Savannah Ceili Band and Harry O'Donoghue. Na Fidléirí is a Charleston, South Carolina based Celtic music ensembles compressed of 25 fiddlers who range in age from 10 to 18 years of age. These talented children and teenagers perform traditional Celtic melodies that will impress even longtime attendees of the Savannah Irish Festival. Harry O'Donoghue is a storyteller, songwriter and singer who performs with an acoustic guitar and bodhran. His love of Ireland is obvious in his stories and lyrics and his talent engaging the audience makes attending one of his concerts a truly special occasion. 

Local favorites, The Savannah Ceili Band, return for its 8th appearance at the Savannah Music Festival in 2014. Colleen Settle, Dan OConnel, Jerry Stenger and Michael Corbett always delight the crowd with their fun & original music performances which includes the fiddle, flutes, and penny whistle. 

Irish Dance Groups 

Other than musical performances and storytelling, the big draw at the Savannah Irish Festival are the dancers! Interest in the highly energetic Irish form of dance has been growing around the country in recent years and in Savannah too. A quarter century ago, Maria Kenney Buckhaults founded the Irish Dancers of Savannah, which was the first Irish dance group in the Hostess City. The newer Glor na Daire is a dance academy with studios in 5 cities (Savannah, Augusta, Charleston, Jacksonville and Corpus Christi). Both groups teach both children the joys of performing traditional Irish dance and both make appearances at several cultural events around Savannah each year. Irish dance is one of the biggest highlights each year of the Savannah Irish Festival.