Happy New Year Folks! We’re delighted to announce we’ve been picked to play at IMRO’s Tradition Music Showcases as part of the 2012 TempleBar TradFest. The show is from 6:35-6:55 on Thursday 26th January. All details can be found here… http://mim.io/6b4a22

Good news folks! Féile An Phobail have moved their deadly Spring traditional music festival, Féile An Earraigh, to the St Patrick’s day period! We’ll be headlining the festival Marquee in Belfast’s Bank Square on Sunday 18th March supported by the fantastic Bernadette Morris. Over the weekend you’ll also have the chance to see Mary Black, Kila and Bréag to name but a few and as usual the pubs around town will be buzzing from start to finish! Tickets priced @ £10 per event are available from the Féile website! Hup!

Hi folks! We’re putting together our gig list for 2012 at the moment so keep checking for updates for local and international gigs! 2011 has been a great year with the release of our 2nd album Wrapped Up! Have a happy and safe Christmas and New Year and we’ll see you in 2012! Hup!

The lads are heading to lovely Waterford in the morning to play at the fantastic Tall Ships Festival 2011! Having witnessed the craic first hand in Belfast last year, it should be a good one! So if you fancy seeing the lads, Dervish, Sharon Shannon or the Waterboys amidst a flurry of other entertainment, throw a drop of diesel in the car and come on down!!

http://www.waterfordtallshipsrace.ie/

Happy Easter folks! We’ve finally got our 1st review back from Folk and Roots Magazine…Hooray!! Check it out here, www.folkandroots.co.uk/reviews15.html#rapparees

Take care!

Hi folks, We’ve finally got round to sorting a few Belfast dates! On Sunday 8th May @2pm in The Blackbox we’re doing our 1st Belfast album launch as part of this years Cathedral Quarter Arts Fest, see www.cqaf.com for details! Shortly after that we’re launching it a little later at night in Belfast’s Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich on Saturday 14th May.  See www.culturlann.ie for details!

Later in the year we’re excited to be taking part in Feile An Droichead, Belfast’s new up and coming celebration of Irish Arts and Language, on Friday 26th August.  Keep an eye on www.androichead.com for news and more announcements.

The lads had a great few gigs at Semaines Irlandaises en Artois-Gohelle in the North of France and after a few days rest are off to Germany and Switzerland now for Magnetic Music’s 11 date Irish Heartbeat Tour. Hup!!

Last Friday night we were lucky enough to be invited into the BBC Radio Ulster studios for a live session and chat with Lynette Fay on her show, Blas.  We performed a few tracks off the new album ‘Wrapped Up’ and had plenty of craic with our good friend Lynette.  Click this link to hear how we got on, we appear 14 minutes in….

http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/xwj1l/

Thanks to all who braved the wind and rain to attend our first album launch in the lovely Lodge Cultural Centre in Castlewellan Co.Down.  The lads were joined by Ciorras and Éalú percussionist Dermot Sheedy and Beoga duo Liam Bradley and Sean Óg Graham on piano and guitar/box respectively for what was a fitting launchpad for any new album.

Next up The Rapparees head to London to showcase the new material at Hammersmith Irish Cultural Centre on Friday 18th February for whats sure to be a rip-roaring evening’s entertainment.