Other Voices Ballina 2020 was launched yesterday in beautiful St Michael’s Church. The 225-year-old church saw representatives from Other Voices and event partners Mayo County Council and Moy Valley Resources, along with local councillors, TDs and senators, all gathered in celebration of the return of the highly acclaimed show to historic Ballina town.
St Michael’s Church will see a stellar line-up of ELBOW, SKINNY LIVING, DENISE CHAILA, and JESCA HOOP for the second of the event taking place on Friday 28th and Saturday 29th February, with the final acts to be announced next week. Alongside the church recordings, the Other Voices Music Trail will be in full swing throughout the weekend. Pubs and venues dotted across the town will be brimming with free performances, kicking off with the first fifteen acts; Bell X1 guitarist David Geraghty aka Join Me In The Pines, alternative folk singer Joel Harkin, MOBO Award-nominated jazz drummer David Lyttle joins forces with rising star jazz guitarist Joseph Leighton. Indie folk sextet Runabay, multi-instrumentalist Anna Mullarkey, folk-pop from duo Elkin, Cork collective Shookrah, post-punk and psychedelia from Belfast’s Junk Drawer.
Mayo talent Lydia Ford will bring her indie-pop sounds to a home audience, neo-soul with an electronic edge from Dublin native Nnic. Post-punk from Dublin band Sprints, followed by Nordie indie band Ports, rapper and spoken word artist Murli is one-third of Limerick’s Rusangano Family. Squarehead create bubblegum pop and Dundalk folksters The Mary Wallopers exude raw energy, think the Clancy Brothers meets John Lydon.
The series of free gigs will take place in the following venues and the full day to day line-up will be announced the week of the Festival: The Loft, T Breathnach’s, An Sean Sibin, An Bolg Bui, Harrisons, Paddy Macs, Bar Square, An Tarbh 47, The Cot and Cobble, Vincy’s Bar, and Shambles.
Also announced yesterday was the line-up for the Ireland’s Edge forum returning to The Jackie Clarke Museum, on Saturday 29th February under the title Awakening Creativity. The discussions will bring together a compelling range of voices spanning diverse disciplines, sectors and industries to discuss Ireland, mixed with music and song for the head and heart.
Ireland’s Edge contributors Ballina 2020: Professor Diarmaid Ferriter, Irish Historian and Broadcaster, Saoirse McHugh, Environmentalist, Dr Patrick Collins, Lecturer in Economic Geography, Farah Elle, Singer Songwriter, Nigel O’Reilly, Master Goldsmith, Dr Rhetta Moran, Refugee and Asylum Seeker Participatory Action Research, Orla Hughes, Commercial Manager, Portwest, Ola Mustapha, Social Inclusion and Supports to Asylum Seekers, Mayo, Piarás MacEinri, Lecturer in Geography and European Studies, UCC, Tracey Keogh, Founder Grow Remote, Professor Laoise McNamara, IRC Researcher of the Year NUIG and Caitlín Nic Gabhann, Concertinist and Dancer
Stay tuned to Mayo.ie for your chance to win tickets to the church performances!
