Karan Casey at Garter Lane Arts Centre (Photos)

Esteemed folk singer-songwriter Karan Casey returned for a hometown gig at the Garter Lane Arts Centre on Saturday night. In front of fans, friends and family the Waterford native who hails from Ballyduff Lower gave a powerful performance showcasing her immense talent, and on-stage presence with her new album Nine Apples of Gold.

One of Ireland’s most prolific songwriters, Casey is currently in the middle of a nationwide tour, having already played in Belfast, Donegal, Clare and Wexford but on Saturday night she was home. “I’m so delighted with these new songs, people have really taken to it (the album), I don’t know why but it feels that the album seems to resonate with people.” Said the singer before the gig.

This was a deeply personal show for Karan on a number of levels. In front of family and lifelong friends, Karan had the opportunity to perform her new album for the first time. The pioneering singer is a leading advocate for gender balance in the Irish folk and highlighting political issues. This rings true within the lyrics of Nine Apples of Gold. The song ‘I Live In A Country’ is a perfect example of having subject matter which includes mother and baby homes and Magdalene laundries. That intense personal connection with this album stands out in ‘Daughter Dear’, which was based around conversations with her daughters and mother. And ‘By and By’, which was written for her brother who passed away in 2020.

The show was titled Karan Casey Trio with duo of Niamh Dunne and Seán Óg Graham accompanying the Waterford woman. Both are members of the popular Irish band Beoga. Of course, Casey took centre stage but throughout the performance, the renowned artist constantly paid tribute to her two colleagues. The origins of the album were born during covid when we were in lockdown Casey states that she exchanged lyrics and ideas with Sean Óg and when it came to putting pen to paper he co-wrote a lot of the songs and who helped her reach the album's full potential. Karan also acknowledged the influence Niamh Dunne had on the songs saying “We’re just in a zone, I just love the way this trio has developed. It’s a special thing.”

Remaining Shows on the current tour
April 27th - Watergate Theatre, Kilkenny
April 28th - Solstice Arts Centre, Navan, Co. Meath
April 29th - Triskel Christchurch, Cork
April 30th - Town Hall Theatre, Galway