Performers 2024
We have an exciting lineup in store for this years' event.
Below are brief bios of just some of our talent.
To download a PDF version of the entire 2024 Program Brochure (includes program schedule, performers, food and craft vendors, and map of the venues), click the button bellow.
The Seán Heely
Celtic Band
Our headliner for Saturday night, The Seán Heely Celtic Band, features U.S National Scottish Fiddle champion and Gaelic singer Seán Heely, acclaimed multi-instrumentalist and All-Ireland singing champion Kevin Elam, percussive dancer Agi Kovacs and bagpiper Tom Cangelosi.
Performing ancient, soaring melodies from Scotland, Ireland and beyond, with original compositions fused in with modern tunes, their song repertoire features Scots-Gaelic (Gäidhlig) songs, ballads, sea shanties, pub songs and more from the rich Celtic folk tradition.
The Band will be on the Main Stage on Saturday at 8pm as well as Sunday afternoon. In addition, Seán will host a Scottish Fiddle Workshop Saturday afternoon at the Boathouse.
bohola
The Maine Celtic Celebration is pleased to announce the return of our long-time favorites, the inimitable Jimmy Keane and Pat Broaders: bohola. Jimmy and Pat have been coming to Maine since 2007, and we're very excited to have them back to bring us their particular style of Irish and Irish-American music. More info ...
You’ll find them on the Main Stage Saturday night and closing out the celebration on Sunday at 4pm.
The Press Gang
Christian Stevens is an influential member of the Trad Irish Music community in America; Alden Robinson learned the fiddle as a child and studied at University College, Cork; multi-instrumentalist Owen Marshall is one of the most highly sought-after accompanist in the country. Together, as The Press Gang, they are a formidable presence and we welcome their long-awaited return. More info ...
You’ll find them on the Main Stage Friday night and Saturday afternoon. They will also be leading the Saturday morning seisiún at The Boathouse.
The Napper Tandies
Chris Brinn, Matt Smith and Randy Billings aka The Napper Tandies consist primarily of piano accordion, banjo, bouzouki and upright bass. Their expansive repertoire includes favorites associated with The Dubliners, The Clancy Brothers and The Pogues. More info ...
You’ll find them on the Main Stage Friday night and Saturday early evening, and Sunday on the Steamboat Stage. On Friday, they’ll be performing a tribute to The Pogues.
Diarmuid Ó Meachair
A button accordion player and Sean-nós singer from Ireland, Diarmuid Ó Meachair was awarded the prestigious Young Musician of the Year award in 2022 from TG4. In 2023 he was invited to join the latest De Dannan line up by Frankie Gavin, and he was nominated for two RTÉ Folk Awards in 2024 as “Best Folk Instrumentalist” and “Best Emerging Artist.” We are very excited to welcome Diarmuid to our lineup of talent for his first visit to the Maine Celtic Festival. More info ...
You’ll find him on the Steamboat Stage Saturday afternoon and on the Main Stage Sunday at 1:00pm. He'll also present a fiddle workshop on Sunday at the Boathouse.
Gus La Casse &
Pepin Mittelhauser
Described as a “passionate and masterful player who values tradition,” Gus La Casse is exploring the future of fiddle music. He has appeared on the Canadian television, traveled to Ireland as part of a touring group, and was a featured performer at the American Folk Festival in Bangor.
Pepin Mittelhauser is a tenor guitar player and vocalist, who performs as a duo with Gus at contradances around Maine. He is also a lead performer and vocalist with the Maine Gilbert & Sullivan Society, and and hosts the Celtic trad music program, New Potatoes, on WERU Community Radio.
Gus & Pepin will perform on the Main Stage Saturday afternoon.
The Oystermen
Carter Newell on fiddle, Smokey McKeen on accordion and guitar, and Eric Rolfson on bass and mandolin are The Oystermen. A maritime traditional group that performs a wide repertoire of songs of the sea and New England country dance tunes. Not only are hey are great musicians but they are also real oyster farmers in Maine!
Catch them at noon on the Main Stage. They will also have a Sea Shanties workshop on Sunday at the Boathouse.
Torrin & Amy
Torrin Ryan is an Uilleann piper, flute and whistle player with almost 20 years’ experience playing, teaching, performing and touring. He has won numerous Mid-Atlantic Fleadh competitions in New York and New Jersey and is a five-time All Ireland champion.
Amy Law is an Irish fiddler and Sean-nós dancer from Southern California who has been playing music and dancing for over 20 years. She has experience playing for ceili, set and contra dances on the West Coast and hosts seisiúns every week in the Boston area.
More info ...
You'll find them on the Steamboat Stage Saturday afternoon and on Sunday morning on the Main Stage.
The Trad Gang
Fiona Howell is of Breton, Irish, Scottish and Welsh descent. She plays Irish flute/ whistles and sings, mostly in Irish. More Info ...
Chuck Donnelly is a seisiún-seasoned guitar player who fulfilled his dream of starting a Celtic music school and festival by founding the Acadia Trad Festival in Bar Harbor, Maine. More info ...
Chris Gray is an oil painter and uilleann piper. He received his MFA from Maine College of Art & Design and received an MA from University College Cork, Ireland in Ethnomusicology with a diploma in Irish Music). More info ...
Catch them at 11am on the Steamboat Stage both Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Jenna Moynihan &
Owen Marshall
Jenna Moynihan is regarded as one of the best of the new generation of freestyle fiddlers. Her style draws strongly from the Scottish tradition, but is also influenced by American, Irish and Scandinavian styles. At 1pm on Sunday, Jenna will be doing a fiddle workshop in the Boathouse.
Vogue magazine calls Owen Marshall “A guitar/mandolin/banjo player rivaled in character only by the occasional three-pronged carrot” (Vogue 2009). Over the past two decades, multi-instrumentalist Owen has emerged as one of the foremost accompanists of traditional music.
They'll perform at noon on Saturday, Main Stage and Sunday afternoon on the Steamboat Stage.
Rebecca McGowan
Rebecca McGowan is a dancer and teacher of traditional Irish dance in the Boston area. Drawing on the musicality of older-style step dance and Sean-nós dance, the grace of soft shoe, and the joy of social dance traditions, Rebecca is interested in exploring step dance as music and making Irish dance lyrical and approachable.
Rebecca will make an appearance during selected peformances on Saturday and Sunday, as well as lead a Sean-nós dance workshop at the Boathouse on Sunday at 11:30am.
The Brinn Brothers
From the wild North Cornish coast, Chris and Kevin Brinn play a mix of music from their hometown, the wider folk world of the UK, Ireland, and Irish-America.
Drawing on their Cornish and Irish heritage (granddad on mum's side was from Dublin), Chris and Kevin put their own particular stamp on many traditional songs and tunes, as well as a few more recently composed "classics" that have worked their way into the Cornish idiom.
You'll find the Brothers Brinn on the Main Stage Saturday Morning. They'll also be doing a Songs of Cornwall workshop at 3pm in the Boathouse.
Jim Sharkey
Singer-songwriter Jim Sharkey is an Irish and Americana folk musician. He grew up in County Roscommon, Ireland, and came to the U.S. in 1982 when he joined the U.S .Navy. He spent five years as a photographer on the USS Dixon and 20 years working in television and video production, receiving numerous awards for his work.
Jim's original songs blend Celtic traditional ballad influences with contemporary issues. Jim has released four albums of original songs. His latest "Our Old Village," was released in February 2024. More info ...
You’ll find Jim on the Steamboat Stage both Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
The Vacationland Ceili Band
The Vacationland Ceili Band is Portland Maine's own traditional Irish ensemble. Masters of the uilleann pipes, Irish flute, fiddle, guitar and tenor banjo, these top-notch instrumentalists enliven any stage or gathering.
Catch these great, local musicians both Saturday and Sunday afternoon!
Peter Beckford: Central Maine's Bagpiper
Having learned his craft from Donald F. Lindsay of the Invermark College of Piping, Peter Beckford has honed his craft over the last forty years, becoming Central Maine premier Bagpiper.
We're excited to have him onsite and opening the Celebration on Saturday morning.
Click HERE for more about Peter.
Belfast Bay Fiddlers
A loosely-organized group of amateur musicians devoted to playing and sharing traditional fiddle music, Belfast Bay Fiddlers hold jam sessions every Sunday and welcome fiddles, mandolins, recorders, whistles, guitars, banjos, accordion and percussion musicians to join in. More info ...
They will be on stage Friday evening at 5:30pm.
Lynne Cullen & Kurt Kish
Lynne Cullen learned the art of traditional storytelling in Yorkshire, England. She was producer of Seanachie Nights, a monthly evening of stories and music from the Celtic tradition, at Bull Feeney’s Irish Pub in Portland, Maine.
Kurt Kish’s music for Lynne’s storytelling provides an exciting dimension, akin to a movie score. Kurt has developed an original voice on electric guitar, ukulele, and concertina.
They'll be performing together on the Steamboat Stage at 12:15 on Saturday.
We need your consent to load the translations
We use a third-party service to translate the website content that may collect data about your activity. Please review the details in the privacy policy and accept the service to view the translations.