















What a very enjoyable weekend!
31st Annual East Durham Irish Festival held on May 24th & May 25th 2008, on the grounds of the Michael J. Quill Irish Cultural & Sports Centre promises. Music was fantastic!
New music from around the US, Canada, and Ireland included:
New this year - 16 time Grammy Award Winning group, The Jimmy Sturr Band with 20 consecutive Grammy nominations and 5 gold albums. The band's two shows were on Saturday.
Also new for 2008 were Canadian groups that have made a name for themselves on the festival circuit: Enter the Haggis and Greenwich Meantime."
Another band from Canada was the "Glengarry Boys". This band had a lot of high energy performing on Saturday and Sunday evenings!
From Ireland, the group "The Screaming Orphans" provided also high energy mix of music.
Shannon McNally from New Orleans, by Way of Hempstead, Long Island. Great voice and interesting arrangements of Blues Rock and Contemporary Country. She has been compared to Bonnie Raitt and Stevie Nicks. Other performances included: The Andy Cooney Band, Celtic Cross, Shilelagh Law, The Prodigals, Kitty Kelly Band, Jameson's Revenge, Calley McGrane and The Exiles, and Kevin and Katie McKrell and The Hard Road Céile Band and St. James Gate, both Capital District favorites. The Albany Police Pipe and Drum Band and the Michael Farrell School of Irish Step Dancing appeared both on Saturday and Sunday. Girls looked as if they were dancing in the air, never touching the ground. The older dancer's costumes were truly gorgeous!




For the children, there were rides and games, along with their very own music tent. Featuring, Driscoll & Smith, with their sing alongs; Carol Spear, Storyteller Extraordinaire; and The First Steps of Irish Dance.
All of this entertainment, along with the craft & product vendors, the food court, and the Children’s rides and entertainment, added up to a GREAT day or two of enjoyment for ALL ages.





