IRISH CHRISTMAS IN AMERICA

Celebrating its 20th year, the popular holiday show “Irish Christmas in America” brings a fascinating performance of music, song, dance, and stories of seasonal Irish traditions. Produced by Sligo fiddler Oisín Mac Diarmada, the long-running show features Irish music, song, and dance in an engaging performance rich in humor and boundless energy.

The family-friendly performance features stunning vocals from Cathy Jordan along with lively instrumental tunes on fiddle by Mac Diarmada, flute and uilleann pipes by Caoimhín Ó Fearghaíl, and harp by Gráinne Hambly. They perform along with thrilling old-style Irish dancing from Samantha Harvey. In addition, evocative photographic images provide a backdrop to some of the rich historical traditions of Ireland.

The holiday show was first conceived in 2005 with past tours featuring such stellar guest vocalists as Niamh Farrell, Séamus & Méabh Begley, Teresa Horgan, and Lumiere. Mac Diarmada enthuses about the program as a way to bring traditional and often unknown Irish customs to the States. “One of the most heartfelt themes of Irish Christmas is emigration,” says Mac Diarmada. “Music was a way that people stayed close to home.”