When Next We Meet: Mick Flannery and Susan O'Neill bring Day One to a stirring end

When Next We Meet is a special kind of festival – and, as if by way of confirmation, Mick Flannery and Susan O’Neill delivered a masterclass in raw chemistry at its gorgeous Clonmel grounds on Saturday evening.

There is a distinct magic to what is a proper, listening-focused weekend of music, and inside the intimate grounds of Raheen House, Saturday night's headliners proved exactly why the format works so well. Backed by a superb full live band, Mick Flannery (interviewed in the current issue of Hot Press, with Kneecap on the cover) and Susan O’Neill achieved a precious emotional gravity, turning a balmy Tipperary evening into a deeply communal experience.

The duo centred their set around their acclaimed collaborative project In the Game. The contrast between their voices is spectacular, Flannery’s gravelly, stone-masons' drawl anchoring the low-end, while O'Neill’s jaw-dropping, soulful vocal acrobatics soared across the old trees of the estate.

Earlier in the day, attendees were treated to modern Irish folk, indie, and alternative music at its finest. Local favourite Eve Whelan (pictured) opened the Main Stage with an exquisite, commanding set that proved exactly why she has become a foundational staple of this festival’s identity. Over on the Hidden Gems stage, early attendees caught arresting sets from Noah Hayes and alternative outfits In Lieu of Flowers and The Last Party, alongside the freshest local sounds from the Tipperary Battle of the Bands winners.

Palestinian-Irish artist Róisín El Cherif (pictured) brought a striking, cinematic texture to the afternoon air, blending deep lyricism with rich melodies that held the early evening crowd completely captive. Waterford trad-fusion heavyweights The Wran (composed of the four Dunford brothers) injected a massive burst of contemporary energy into the evening. Their fierce, high-octane blend of deep-rooted traditional music and driving modern rhythms had the Raheen House lawn stomping, acting as the perfect rhythmic catalyst before the night's emotional weight landed.

And then came Mick Flannery and Susan O’Neill (pictured) – bringing the curtains down on a brilliant Day One of When Next We Meet. Supported by Camida – the Clonmel-based specialist supplier of pharmaceutical raw materials, fine chemicals and intermediates to the life sciences industry – it is one of the special events of a summer that is teeming with brilliant music...