It is the start and the 20th anniversary of the annual 'TradFest' event, Ireland's major trad and folk festival with artists from home and abroad set to perform at locations across Dublin city and county.
"Tradfest brought us back from our retirement and gives ‘Stockton’s Wing’ a great stage to play on every year," Mike Hanrahan, from the group, told RTÉ News.
Speaking at the launch of the event’s first day at Dublin Castle, he said: "The audience is a joy - always full of dedicated music lovers."
Over the next four days, music fans will be able to watch performers in action at over 140 events across the capital, with choirs, groups and leading solo musicians taking to the stage.
The anniversary sees the festival expanding its aim to bring Irish traditional music to more and more communities and this year, they are offering events in Fingal, south county Dublin as well as in their familiar homes across Dublin city Centre.
"This programme is bursting at the seams," festival director Martin Harte said.
"This year’s festival is celebrating a number of important milestones, including our new partnership with Ablefest, remembering legendary Dubliner Barney McKenna and toasting cultural icon and TradFest Patron Stephen Rea," he added.
The festival offers many performances for free and is enthusiastic about its new partnership with Ablefest to help increase accessibility for everyone.
As part of this year’s festival, Ablefest will celebrate and support neurodiverse children, adults, carers and their families.
It will host a two-day mini festival at the National Stadium featuring acoustic music, sensory experiences, arts and crafts workshops and more.
As well as presenting a wide range of musical experiences across Dublin city, Fingal and Temple Bar, for the first time TradFest will extend into south county Dublin with a variety of shows to be hosted in venues including Áras Chrónáin Irish Cultural Centre and St Maelruain's Church in Tallaght.
The festival organisers are delighted that folk legend Peggy Seeger is joining them.
They have focused on promoting female artists and over the last number of years they have committed to increasing the number of artists taking to their stages.
This year’s events involving female artists range from Women of Note at St Patrick's Cathedral - a concert curated by Aoife Scott who will be joined by a number of female artists including folk legend Ms Seeger.
Also on offer is Transatlantic Women curated by Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, featuring Maura O’Connell, Julie Fowlis, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, String Sisters, Tríona Ni Dhomhnaill, Aisling Jarvis, Caoimhe Hopkins and Edwina Guckian.
In Fingal, they are focusing on celebrating Stephen Rea, who the festival describes as actor, local resident and TradFest patron.
Joining Mr Rae over the four nights will be poet Paul Muldoon and Felispeaks, award winning actress Sinead Cusack, musicians Matt Molloy, Maighread Ní Dhomnaill, and Paddy Glackin.
At The Abbey Tavern in Howth meanwhile, they will be ‘Remembering Barney McKenna' through music, stories and craic.
More highlights from the festival include the ‘Community Choral Project’involving musician Mike Hanrahan.
