- Music
- 05 Feb 25
Four exemplary artists gathered in the Curragh Racecourse for the Brigid 2025 festival, celebrating the spirit of Kildare's Saint on her hallowed ground...
Legend has it that, way back when, St. Brigid asked the King of Leinster for land to build a convent in Kildare. In his smugness, he jokingly agreed to give her as much ground as her cloak would cover. The garment would grow to envelop many acres - 5,000 of them - becoming what we now know as the Curragh.
It was more than fitting then, that a special Brigid’s Day concert – presented by Kildare County Council and Hot Press – unfolded in the area’s historic racecourse on Saturday evening, where a diverse array of talented female musicians drew fans into a tapestry of beautiful music.
First up was Clare Sands, an amazingly talented Cork musician – proficient in both the violin and guitar – who’s built her reputation on crafting rousing folk tunes which draw on the Irish and English languages.
On her opening song, 'Carry My Song', co-written with Lisa O'Neill, the raw sound of the violin filled the atrium, creating a primordial atmosphere which accompanied her bilingual poetry. The minimalist arrangement allowed Sands’ vocals to take centre stage, as was the case on follow up tune ‘Sail On’, which was infectious and injected with a surge of energy via the introduction of her acoustic guitar. The audience enthusiastically joined in on choruses echoing the powerful message of "Ní neart go cur le chéile" (There's no strength without unity) - a chant which encapsulated the spirit of the Brigid festival.
Perhaps even more in line with the day’s message was the galloping ‘Awe na Mná’, a honeyed guitar ballad celebrating women and their ability to do seemingly a million things at once. Sands herself is case in point; as well as being an obviously talented musician, she’s also a cross-continental swimmer and medal winning black belt martial artist.
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Irish Women in Harmony were up next. A collective of some of Ireland's most gifted female artists, they come together through mutual artistic support and in their overarching mission – amplifying awareness for women and children in crisis situations. Seven of their 30+ strong roster were present in honour of Brigid: Stephanie Rainey, Emma Langford, Sibéal, Fia Moon, Soule, Eve Belle and Róisín O.
The group opened with a series of hit songs by iconic female artists, beginning with Sinéad O'Connor's ‘Mandinka’. The seven-piece’s harmonies were exceptional and intricately layered, and the '90s nostalgia continued with a cover of the Cranberries' ‘Linger’. Each member took turns on lead vocals, seamlessly transitioning between verses while the others duly provided backing vocals.
The collective dipped into some classics by the opposite sex too, with a fresh and sonorous rendition of Leonard Cohen's oft-covered ‘Hallelujah’, and a heartfelt performance of Aslan's timeless ‘Crazy World'. The emotional peak of their set arrived during its finale however, as a harrowingly powerful ‘Thank You For Hearing Me’ transitioned into a seismic rendition of another Sinéad O'Connor number ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ - a moving tribute to one of Ireland's finest ever artists, that left some audience members shedding tears.

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That we have immense genre-diverse female talent in Ireland was rendered clear, as Sharon Shannon and her posse of trad maestros took to the stage. The Clare native, who started out jamming with The Waterboys, released her self-titled debut in 1991. As the evening's host Michaela Hayes duly noted, the LP still stands as the best-selling Irish traditional music album ever. Shannon's abilities speak for themselves, and she captivated the audience with a hypnotising set which prompted cheering and reeling in equal measure.
Though her songs are undeniably Celtic in spirit, they also incorporate influences from other genres, including blues and jazz, resulting in a complex sound that is wholly unique. Shannon's expertise on both the flute and concertina was on full display, and her impressive solos were given room to breathe, thanks to the solid foundation provided by her talented band. In line with the collaborative spirit of the evening, Shannon invited Róisín Bradley out to sing a couple of tunes, including ‘The Piper’, a vignette about a musician and his broken instrument that called on the crowd to humorously help out by mimicking the din of damaged pipes with some drawn out 'nyahhs'. A rousing performance of 'Galway Girl', followed by 'Blackbird' - delivered at the request of some enthusiastic die-hards in attendance - capped off Shannon's set to rapturous applause.

We went from traditional to hyper-modern for the last act of the evening. Cork's Lyra had a stellar 2024 - announcing herself as a megastar in the making with a debut album which shot straight to No.1 upon its release last spring. She's an artist who's all about an unapologetic female spirit via unadulterated, no holds barred pop - with songs about the highs and lows of being a woman in the modern age. ‘Chess’, for example, detailed her struggle with being taken seriously by a chauvinist partner, while ‘Queen’ and ‘Too Wild’ let Lyra's at-times atomic feminine energy fly.
In between tracks, her infectious personality and disarming Cork accent shone through, especially during her humorous, self-deprecating anecdotes. Almost as if with a flick of a switch though, she was back in pop star mode. Lyra exuded confidence, a self-assurance she put on full blast when she treated the audience to her new single ‘Freak’. The song's pulsating rhythm, driven by deep bass and sexually-charged lyrics, noticeably raised the temperature levels.
Infused with her own distinct style and massive-sounding, cascading synths, a cover of Stevie Nicks’ ‘Edge Of Seventeen' concluded both her set, and what had been an incredibly special Brigid’s day celebration.
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