The Long Grazing Acre National Tour coming to Louth

The Long Grazing Acre, a celebration of the enormous contribution Travellers make to Traditional Irish music, is to stop in Louth this year as part of its national tour, coming to Ravensdale from Friday 26 – Sunday 28 September.

The tour will be led by world renowned uilleann piper and co-founder of the iconic Bothy Band, Paddy Keenan, along with musicians descended from other famous musical Traveller families. Following last year’s two-week musical journey in traditional barrel-top wagons, this year The Long Grazing Acre tours to three separate locations in Donegal, Clare and Louth, each focusing on a different musical Traveller family.  

Paddy will be accompanied by guitarist and singer Marty Barry, great-grandnephew of the well-known Traveller singer Margaret Barry, fiddler Bianca Rohleder who hails from the famous and much-loved Doherty family of Traveller musicians from Donegal, and Keenan’s long-term musical partner Éamonn de Barra.

The tour will feature concerts, demonstrations in wattle-tent making and tin smithing, talks, exhibitions, film-screenings, a musical bus tour, a historical walking tour, and of course multiple sessions. Each location is curated by local experts in Traveller music all of whom are traditional musicians themselves. 

Read also: Landmarks: A Louth Journey - fascinating exhibition coming to Downtown Hub

They will be joined by different musicians at each location including Trish Reilly a relation of renowned singer John ‘Jacko’ Reilly, Johnny Purcell, grandson of the famous piper Johnnie Doran and the only direct descendent who still plays the pipes and young singers Tom and Felix Doran who are also related to Johnny Doran and his brother Felix. Local musicians will join in each location including members of the Mary Wallopers in Co. Louth. 

Each location will focus on the legacy of a particular Traveller family. In Glenties, Donegal on 23 and 24 August, which is curated by Rab Cherry, the focus will be predominantly on the Doherty family.

From 5-7 September, The Long Grazing Acre will be in Ennis, County Clare and is curated by Blackie O’Connell with a broader focus on various Traveller families including the Dorans and the Reillys.

The final leg of the tour takes place in Ravensdale, County Louth on 26 – 28 September and will focus on the legacy of the Barry family and is curated by Tommy Fegan and Gerry “Fiddle” O’Connor.

Anna Legge, Coordinator of The Long Grazing Acre said: “The tour aims to document, celebrate, and reconnect these extraordinary musical narratives. By presenting these iconic musicians' stories and performances, we illuminate Traveller musicians' central role in shaping Ireland's cultural identity, challenging historical marginalization and recognising their immense artistic contribution.”

The Long Grazing Acre is funded by an Arts Council Touring Award.