Irish Bluegrass Bands Take Aim on America

I Draw Slow and Niall Toner, both musical acts from Ireland, bring their music to America this Fall for a two week tour.  Call it the “Irish Acoustic Music Invasion” if you would like to label it or simply call it good music from Ireland teaming up with some of the best acoustic artists in the United States.

Each of the Irish acts bring their respective talents in songwriting and musicianship to a Fall Tour that will place them with many great artists in some of America’s top venues over a several weeks outing that kicks off during the International Bluegrass Music Association World of Bluegrass and culminates for each at different points with I Draw Slow wrapping up at a festival in South Carolina sharing the stage with some of the best in Americana. 

Niall Toner ends his tour performing at the award winning Historic Jonesborough Bluegrass Series with some of the best in Bluegrass Music.

Foghorn in Ireland–Guest Blogger Post #3

The Foghorn String Band’s Nadine Landry writes this Guest Blogger Post from Ireland. This is a post written on May 14 at the end of Fiddle Fair in Baltimore Co. Cork

Greetings from Baltimore in West Cork!

It's Monday and I'm sitting outside our house looking at the ocean with Sherkin island in the distance. Since our arrival here on Wednesday night, we have been blessed not only with gorgeous weather but with possibly the best festival to ever exist: Fiddle Fair.  Organized by Declan McCarthy and his family, the festival was celebrating its 20th anniversary and it was amazing! Caliber of musicianship and kindness was out of this world. Foghorn Stringband has played the festival a bunch of time and was actually the first place to play in Ireland back in 2003. Afternoon sessions in the square, concerts in the castle, main concerts in the marquis every night followed by very late wicked sessions till the wee hours!       [Videos below]

Irish Bluegrass Songwriter Publishes Video Story of Monroe Song!

“William Smith Monroe” is the latest single from Niall Toner, Ireland’s premier Bluegrass Artist.  Here, Niall gives us the story of how he wrote the song.

Niall Toner Releases New Single Honoring The Father of Bluegrass!

Niall toner Bluegrass and Roots Music Singer/Songwriter from Ireland Releases New Single: William Smith Monroe
The leader of the Niall Toner Band from Ireland is still celebrating his music reaching the number one download spot on the bluegrass and folk charts for Air Play Direct during the month of March, an extraordinary achievement for a songwriter based in Ireland. As a result, Niall Toner Band has been enjoying an ever-increasing amount of air play on American Radio. Niall's songs about Bill Monroe, Bill Monroe's Mandolin and The Master's Resting Place, are proving most popular with Radio DJs and listeners in this year of Monroe's Centenary.

Ireland's Niall Toner Honors Bill Monroe With New Single!

Niall Toner has been a Bill Monroe fan ever since the late 1950s, when as a young man in his native Dublin, he was introduced to Bill’s Bluegrass Music by the Son of a neighbor in Harold’s Cross, Fran O’Donnell.
This early introduction led to a lifetime of devotion to this unique brand of American Acoustic music, and also to many meetings with the Father Of Bluegrass, most notably in Belfast in 1975, Cork in 1984, and at Bean Blossom, Indiana in 1985.
Bill Monroe died in September 1996, and left a musical legacy that is today, revered, collected and performed the World over. This year, 2011 is being celebrated as the 100th anniversary of his birth in Rosine, Kentucky, in 1911.
It was in Rosine, Kentucky, at the Jerusalem Ridge Bluegrass Festival in 2006 that Niall began composing his tribute song to the music and life of his music hero.

Irish Bluegrass Band Reaches No. 1 on Radio Downloads

NIALL TONER BAND FROM IRELAND IS NUMBER ONE ON AIR PLAY DIRECT

Bluegrass, Roots Country, and Americana artists hit#1 on the Bluegrass/Folk Category for downloads and are #6 on the top 50 downloads for all genres for the month of March.

The Niall Toner Band from Ireland are celebrating their music reaching the number one download spot on the bluegrass and folk charts for Air Play Direct for March. The band also reached #6 on the top 50 of all genres. It's only been four weeks since the band launched thirty-eight of their original songs to Air Play Direct but this week the band hit the number one slot with a massive 268 Radio Station downloads from around the World.

This is a very significant first for an Irish Bluegrass, Americana, and Roots Country Band and has resulted in an incredible response from Club Owners and Festival Organizers across the USA, as well as an increased demand for CDs and downloads at both Amazon.com and iTunes, and from the band’s website www.nialltonerband.com

Irish Bluegrass Coming to North America!

Niall Toner Band 

Bluegrass from Ireland - Now Available for Booking in North America

The Niall Toner Band is an Irish bluegrass band from the Blackstairs Mountain region of Ireland.

 The Band was founded by Niall Toner in March, 2001, with Clem O'Brien and Dick Gladney. The Trio performs a set of all-original songs and instrumentals, and their unique sound is a rich blend of Traditional Acoustic Country Music and Bluegrass, with a distinctive Celtic twist. The Band perform live on a regular basis at Festivals, Venues and Arts Centres in Ireland, the UK, Europe and the USA.