Sharon Shannon Jim Murray and Gerry O Connor to Perform at the Irish Cultural Centre, London – October 18th, 19th & 20th, 2024

London, UK – The Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith is thrilled to announce that internationally renowned Irish musician Sharon Shannon will be performing three exclusive concerts on October 18th, 19th, and 20th, 2024. Sharon will be joined on stage by acclaimed guitarist Jim Murray and legendary banjo player Gerry O’Connor, promising three unforgettable evenings of traditional Irish music. The Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith, London, is dedicated to promoting Irish arts and culture through a wide range of events, including music, theatre, literature, and more.

Sharon Shannon, known for her mastery of the accordion and her genre-defying collaborations, has become one of Ireland’s most beloved musical ambassadors. With a career spanning decades, she has captivated audiences worldwide, blending Irish folk with a variety of musical genres, from reggae to classical. Her live performances are celebrated for their energy, spontaneity, and the seamless fusion of tradition and innovation. Sharon Shannon is an Irish musician known for her work on the accordion and for crossing musical boundaries with her blend of Irish folk, classical, and world music. She has performed with some of the biggest names in the music industry and continues to inspire audiences with her innovative sound.

Joining Sharon on this special tour are two of the finest musicians in the Irish music scene:

Jim Murray on guitar, who has been a long-time collaborator with Sharon is known for his exceptional musicianship and deep connection to the Irish folk tradition.

Gerry O’Connor on banjo, a virtuoso with a distinctive style that has earned him a place among the greats of Irish traditional music. The Wall Street Journal’s Earle Hitchner called him “the best banjoist in the history of Irish music.”

In addition, audiences will be treated to performances by singer-songwriter Jack Francis, who will be providing support on all three nights. With his soulful voice and heartfelt songs, Jack Francis is sure to captivate the crowd and set the tone for the evenings.

Dates: October 18th, 19th, and 20th, 2024

Venue: Irish Cultural Centre, Hammersmith, London

Doors Open: 7:00 PM

Tickets: Available now at https://irishculturalcentre.giftpro.co.uk

For press inquiries, interviews, and more information, please contact:
Daithi Turner daithiturner@gmail.com 00 353 86 3894129

I EN TOURNEE • SHARON SHANNON I ✨

L’accordéoniste virtuose @sharonshannonmusic est de retour en France pour une tournée exceptionnelle au mois d’octobre. Son dernier album ! reflète sa remarquable générosité, tant en studio que sur scène, où elle s’attache à interpréter une musique irlandaise résolument moderne avec une énergie impressionnante.

« La radieuse Irlandaise est une reine de l’accordéon celtique, dont elle explore le répertoire très folk avec cette ouverture au monde (reggae, musique cajun, fado…) qui le rend si vivace et si contemporain. » (Télérama Sortir)

Prenez date !
09/10/24 · @labatteriedeguyancourt [78]
https://bit.ly/3MpJMOs
10/10/24 · Release party ! au @studiodelermitage , PARIS [75]
https://bit.ly/4e3kYHH
11/10/24 · @leroudour , SAINT-MARTIN-DES-CHAMPS [29]
https://bit.ly/3X4GPYr
12/10/24 · @laconfluencebetton ( @grand.soufflet ), BETTON [35]
https://bit.ly/3Xm6zks

#enconcert #sharonshannon #naiadeproductions #folkmusic #livemusic #NOW! #ireland

I ON TOUR • SHARON SHANNON I ✨

Virtuoso accordionist @sharonshannonmusic is back in France for an exceptional tour in October. Sharon’s latest album ! reflects her remarkable generosity, both in the studio and on stage, where she strives to perform resolutely modern Irish music with impressive energy.

“The radiant Irishwoman is a queen of the Celtic accordion, whose very folk repertoire she explores with this openness to the world (reggae, Cajun music, fado, etc.) which makes it so lively and so contemporary. » (Télérama Sortir)

Make a date!
09/10/24 · @labatteriedeguyancourt [78]
https://bit.ly/3MpJMOs
10/10/24 · Release party ! at @studiodelermitage, PARIS [75]
https://bit.ly/4e3kYHH
11/10/24 · @leroudour, SAINT-MARTIN-DES-CHAMPS [29]
https://bit.ly/3X4GPYr
12/10/24 · @laconfluencebetton ( @grand.soufflet ), BETTON [35]
https://bit.ly/3Xm6zks

#enconcert #sharonshannon #naiadeproductions #folkmusic #livemusic #NOW! #ireland

Sharon Shannon Announces 2025 Irish Tour

Celebrated Irish Musician and Composer to Perform in Venues Across Ireland

Sharon Shannon, one of Ireland’s most beloved and internationally acclaimed folk artists, is thrilled to announce her 2025 Irish Tour. Kicking off on January 3rd at the Mermaid Arts Centre in Bray, the tour will take her to some of the country’s most prestigious venues, including the Royal Theatre in Waterford and the Pavilion Theatre in Dún Laoghaire, before concluding in April.

Sharon, a multi-instrumentalist known for her ability to weave traditional Irish music with modern genres, has redefined Irish folk’s boundaries. Irish President Michael D. Higgins has lauded her as “A National Treasure,” a title befitting an artist whose career spans over four decades. Having released over 20 albums, headlined iconic venues across the globe, and collaborated with the biggest names in music, Sharon continues to innovate.

Following on from the release of her latest album Now! and a box set celebrating her extraordinary career so far, 2025 will see the release of new music from Sharon, along with a live performance experience that promises to surprise and excite audiences. Fans can expect to hear beloved classics and fresh material from her ever-evolving repertoire. Sharon Shannon’s remarkable career has seen her travel the world, performing on some of the biggest stages, from the Kennedy Centre in Washington to Wembley Arena in London. This year saw Sharon in Paris as part of the Irish Olympic Celebrations. Sharon has transcended the boundaries of traditional Irish music, fusing it with genres like reggae, rap, and classical, while collaborating with legends such as Bono, Willie Nelson, and Steve Earle.

Sharon’s influence on Irish music is undeniable. She is the youngest-ever recipient of the Meteor Lifetime Achievement Award and holds an honorary Doctorate of Music from the University of Galway, where she continues to inspire future generations.

Sharon Shannon’s 2025 Irish tour promises to be another highlight in a career that has already achieved legendary status. With new music and a series of captivating performances lined up, this tour is set to remind audiences why she remains one of the most respected and admired musicians in Ireland and beyond.

Tour Dates:

Jan 3: Mermaid Arts Centre – Bray   Jan 23: Marketplace – Armagh
Jan 25: Roscommon Arts Centre – Roscommon  Feb 15: Solstice Arts Centre – Navan
Feb 22: Town Hall – Cavan   Feb 28: Royal Theatre – Waterford
Apr 4: Draíocht Theatre – Blanchardstown   Apr 5: Visual Arts Centre – Carlow
Apr 12: Esker Theatre – Tullamore   Apr 19: The Source Arts Centre – Thurles
Apr 25: Pavilion Theatre – Dún Laoghaire

Tickets are available at www.sharonshannon.com or through each venue’s box office. Don’t miss seeing one of Ireland’s finest musicians live on stage.

For further information, interviews, or media inquiries, please contact: daithiturner@gmail.com

Sharon Shannon announces her brand new album “Now!”

available April 26th

https://lnk.fuga.com/sharonshannon_now

The new album from Ireland’s greatest traditional music export Sharon Shannon entitled “Now!”
gets its full release ahead of an action packed Summer of headline shows and festival appearances.
This is the first time the new album has been made available outside of last year’s extensive career
spanning box set release.

The album features a collaboration with The Scratch (“The Diddley Doo”) which
was released as a single early in 2023. It also contains the quirky “Greenroots” single composed to
the background of a rousing speech by Barack Obama.

“NOW & THEN” BOX SET is out now exclusively from CelticNote.com now
https://www.celticnote.com/merch/sharonboxsetlimited

Extended sleeve notes by Robin Denslow
“Sharon Shannon sits in Camden Recording Studio in Dublin listening to the final mix of her new
album Now, and explains her cheerfully freewheeling style of writing tunes. “It can happen any time,
not necessarily when I have an instrument in my hand …. when I’m out walking the dogs or at home
cooking the dinner. I come up with an idea and press the record button on my phone. Or if I’m
playing an instrument, I might just keep playing and improvising for 35-40 minutes and I might get
10 or 12 ideas for nice tunes out of that…or I just sit down to write just one tune with an instrument.
I have hundreds of ideas for tunes on my phone, so another method is to just pick out one of them
and start working on perfecting it”.
It’s a mixture of those original tunes, along with very old traditional tunes, that provide the starting
point for the remarkable back catalogue of albums on this boxset, in which her compositions are
matched against musical influences from around the world, or heard alongside her settings for songs
by the remarkable array of great singers who have worked with her.

So how does Now compare with her earlier work? Every Sharon Shannon album is different, of

course, and this time round she says she had originally planned what would have been her first all-
instrumental album since Tunes (2005) and Flying Circus (2012), except it didn’t quite turn out like

that, although she wrote all but two of the tracks.
Her albums always contain surprises, and is no exception. There are no conventional songs, though
she shows off her famous sense of fun (and sings) on one delightfully crazy track, and there’s even
an appearance by a former President of the Unite States Mr. Barack Obama. There are no other
celebrity voices here, and none are needed. This is yet another classic Sharon set, on which she
matches great instrumental work on accordion, fiddle, whistles and even electric guitar with
ever-changing emotions, from a powerful, poignant lament through to stomping rock-influenced tunes or
passages of sheer fun.

As a celebrated animal-lover who shares her Galway home with five dogs and nine cats, it’s no
surprise that she should name the cheerfully upbeat opening tune Benji’s Rollicks after a much-loved
spaniel. It’s followed by a second tribute, Mammy Shannon’s Jig, this one written for her mother
Mary, and is a counterpart to the jig written for her father that appeared on ‘The Reckoning’ album.
With string arrangements by Aoife Ni Bhriain, it’s an emotional reminder of the role that her parents
played in encouraging her musical skills (and those of her brother and sisters) when they were
growing up in the little village of Ruan in County Clare. “They were mad for dancing”, says Sharon.
“They sent us to music lessons and it was thanks to them that we got this great love of music”.

Now come the changes of mood, starting with the delightfully silly The Diddley Doo, the only track
on the album with lyrics “if you want to call them lyrics”. Sharon taught the tune to her longstanding
guitarist Jim Murray “who is always saying ‘I do’, imitating an old man who used to say it, and then
Jack Maher came up with ‘do I do I diddley do’…and then ‘why didn’t you do’ etc etc – it’s so stupid!”
Indeed. But it’s a fine tune and a reminder of Sharon’s contagious sense of fun. And it features those
one-time Dublin buskers, ‘The Scratch’ now an ‘acoustic rock band’ famed for blurring the boundaries
between folk and heavy metal, and for their wild and furious live shows.

The mood changes with surely one of the most emotional, poignant tunes she has written. Séamus is
a celebration of the life of Séamus Begley, the accordion player and singer from West Kerry who died
in January 2023, whom she describes as “an amazing, amazing musician and singer and beautiful
person, really funny and a great friend, a big strong man, who was immensely proud of Ireland and
the tradition”. Ross Ainslie plays the highland pipes on this beautiful tune “and the pipes remind me
of the noble, epic person that Begley was”.

Next comes ‘Gnasher’s Knickers/Pipes on the table’, this first tune named after one of Sharon’s dogs.
There’s another surprising change of direction with Jack of Hearts, a stomping tune on which she
plays electric guitar. So how on earth did that come about? In 2020 she was contacted by the Irish
rugby star Robbie Henshaw, who asked if she would be interested in being nominated to learn a new
skill in five days and posting the results on social media, as part of a celebrity charity fund-raising
project. She agreed, and decided on the electric guitar “because I love electric guitar with
distortion!” She quickly mastered one of her own tunes, ‘The Jolly Roger’, which appeared on ‘The
Reckoning’ album. She says that ‘Jack of Hearts’ started with her playing the melody on the guitar,
to which other instruments were then added, including drums, bowed double bass, electric bass,
fiddle, banjo and last of all her own accordion and melodeon. “The demo guitar part I recorded at
home at the kitchen table is still the same – little did I think at the time that it would end up on the
album!”.

Side Two begins with the cheerfully upbeat Jigatha Christie “an experiment – I wrote the melody to a
sequence of chords that Jim sent me”, and then two traditional reels, Dan Breens and Come West
Along The Road, with Sharon playing whistle. These are followed by a re-worked classical guitar
piece by the Italian composer Ferdinando Carulli, the stately Duo in G – which Sharon learned from
an old Dé Dannan album.

Next we have more surprises. The Zonkeys of Easkey was inspired by a pair of hybrid beasts who
were born after a circus visited the village of Easkey in County Sligo and left behind two zebras who
mated with some local donkeys.

Sharon sent the tune off to the brilliant Justin Adams, who played on a whole batch of her albums,
from ‘Renegade’ through to ‘Sacred Earth’ and ‘The Reckoning’, and is currently picking up awards
for his work with Mauro Durante. Justin wrote back with just one short sentence “those Zonkies are
groovy!” and started work on the track, overdubbing electric guitar, bass and percussion. Sharon
then added fiddles, more accordion and melodeon, whistles and even “a fiddle tuned right down to
hopefully sound almost like a cello”. The result is this beautifully slinky and gutsy tune.

The final Greenroots is the most unexpected track of all. It’s another sturdy, rousing tune (again with
added guitar work from Justin Adams) but what makes it remarkable is the addition of Barack
Obama’s famous speech, made during his Presidential visit to Dublin in 2011 – where he appeared
on the same College Green stage on which Sharon had played half an hour earlier.
The track was put together by engineer and producer Craig Mulvagh, and it’s unlike anything Sharon
has recorded before. But that’s what you’d expect from another great Sharon Shannon album.”

Media Contact: Dee Ní Chellaigh dee@MASONRY.IE 086-2495323

Sharon Shannon Trio Announces Australian Tour for Spring 2024

Internationally acclaimed Irish musician Sharon Shannon, hailed as a ‘National Treasure’ by Irish President Michael D Higgins, is set to embark on an Australian tour with her renowned trio in 2024. With a career spanning four decades, 20 albums, and collaborations with musical luminaries from around the globe, Sharon Shannon continues to break new ground and redefine the boundaries of Irish traditional music.

Sharon Shannon’s musical journey has taken her to prestigious venues worldwide, from The Kennedy Centre in Washington to London’s Wembley Arena. She has collaborated with an eclectic array of artists, including Bono, Willie Nelson, Shane McGowan, and Johnny Depp. As an honorary Doctor of Music at The University of Galway, Shannon inspires students through master classes and tutorials, both online and in person, and is actively working on her archive at the University.

In addition to her extensive career, Sharon recently presented the captivating four-part musical TV series, “Heartlands,” where she explored the ancient River Shannon, making music along its majestic journey. As 2023 unfolds, Sharon Shannon looks forward to releasing new music and creating live shows that promise to surprise and excite audiences.

The Sharon Shannon Trio, featuring acclaimed Irish musician Jim Murray and the incredibly versatile Jack Maher, will grace stages across Australia in Spring 2024. Jim Murray, known for his expertise in accompanying traditional Irish music on the guitar, has garnered international acclaim through teaching and masterclasses worldwide. Jack Maher, a proficient acoustic and electric guitar player, mandolin and banjo player, singer, and songwriter, has been an integral part of the Sharon Shannon Band for over 15 years.

Australia Tour Dates:

FRI – Mar 08, 2024            Port Fairy Folk Festival

SAT – Mar 09, 2024           Port Fairy Folk Festival

MON – Mar 11, 2024        WOMADelaide

THU – Mar 14, 2024          Sydney, The Factory

FRI – Mar 15, 2024            Katoomba, Blue Mountains Music Festival

SAT – Mar 16, 2024           Katoomba, Blue Mountains Music Festival

SUN – Mar 17, 2024          Melbourne, St Kilda St Patrick’s Day Festival

Don’t miss this opportunity to witness the Sharon Shannon Trio’s spellbinding performances as they enchant audiences with their unique blend of Irish traditional music and diverse musical influences.

For ticket information and updates visit www.sharonshannon.com

The Daisy Label is proud to announce a comprehensive 30-year career-spanning box set by inimitable Irish music icon Sharon Shannon, arriving this October. The release is to be called “NOW & THEN”., Sharon has also enjoyed a diverse range of successful collaborations with legends, including The Waterboys, Christy Moore, Sinéad O’Connor, Kirsty MacColl, U2’s Adam Clayton, Jackson Browne, Steve Earle, John Prine, Liam Ó Maonlaí, Dónal Lunny, Imelda May, Shane MacGowan, reggae dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson, and many others.

Speaking about the release, Sharon commented, “I absolutely love being in the recording studio making new albums. I just love hearing brand new music coming to life, and it’s one of the things that l love doing most in my life, and I hope to keep doing it for many more years to come. 

Putting together this box set was a mammoth task. It started off with the recording of a brand new album which is called ‘Now’. I’m really, really proud of it, and I can’t wait for people to hear it.  Apart from the new album, I hadn’t heard any of the rest of the albums for years and years, so I enjoyed listening to them all again, and of course, each one brought up lots of great memories of recording and touring the various albums with various different band line ups.

The book of photographs was also a great and very, very long trip down memory lane. With help from my friend Daithi Turner, I traipsed through over 36,000 digital photos, plus multiple boxes and bin bags full of physical photos that I have at my home in Galway and my family have at home in Co. Clare.  

I can’t wait to see the final production, and I’m really excited about it.”

The stunning collection of Sharon’s work since her debut album release in 1991 includes a 7″ vinyl version of The Galway Girl featuring Mundy, which has been remixed by rising DJ/producer Jen Payne just as the original surpasses 20 million Spotify streams.  The set also features 12 of Sharon’s studio albums on reformatted digisleeve CDs, a career journey coffee table photo book over 100 pages, Sharon’s renowned debut LP with remastered audio on bespoke coloured vinyl, and finally, a brand new album called “NOW!” (also on coloured vinyl) including a recent collaboration with The Scratch called “The Diddley Doo”.

A strictly limited edition (100 box sets) that are numbered and signed are available on a first come, first served basis.

“NOW & THEN” BOX SET is released Friday, 27th October 2023.

The box set and a signed limited edition version can now be pre-ordered exclusively from CelticNote.com.

Now & Then Limited Box Set: https://www.celticnote.com/merch/sharonboxsetlimited

FULL BOX CONTENTS (12xCD / 2xLP / 1×7″ / 1xBook)

• “Now!” – New Studio Album – Bespoke Code-Red Coloured LP on 140gsm Vinyl
• “Sharon Shannon” – Debut Album – Bespoke Fern-Green Coloured LP on 140gsm Vinyl – 2023 Remastered Audio
• “The Galway Girl feat. Mundy (2023 Jen Payne Remix)” – Bespoke Medal-Silver Coloured 7″ Single on 140gsm Vinyl – includes original 2008 Mundy vocal version
• “Now & Then: A Photographic Journey” – Exclusive Hardback Book with archive photos personally selected and captioned by the artist, over 100 pages
• 12 x studio albums in digisleeve format
• Now! – *2023 new studio album includes The Diddley Doo feat. The Scratch
• Sharon Shannon – *Debut album 2023 Remaster
• Out The Gap
• Each Little Thing
• The Diamond Mountain Sessions
• Libertango
• Tunes
• Renegade
• Saints & Scoundrels
• Flying Circus
• A Thing Called Love: Songs For Leo
• The Reckoning

Limited Edition Box Set includes:

• Guaranteed maximum run of 100 units
• Hand-signed by Sharon Shannon
• Hand-numbered by Sharon Shannon
• “Now!” – New Studio Album – Exclusive Transparent Atomic-Red Coloured LP on 140gsm Vinyl
• “Sharon Shannon” – Debut Album – Exclusive Marbled Smoke-Green Coloured LP on 140gsm Vinyl – 2023 Remastered Audio
• “The Galway Girl feat. Mundy (2023 Jen Payne Remix)” – Exclusive Crystal Clear 7″ Single on 140gsm Vinyl – includes original 2008 Mundy vocal version.

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