Finbar Hoban Presents celebrates 15 years of live music in Mayo

THIS coming autumn/winter, Finbar Hoban Presents will be celebrating 15 years of bringing the best quality live music to the county town in Castlebar with the announcement of three big upcoming shows for the Mayo area.

Mick Flannery is a multi-platinum selling artist. To date, Mick has released eight studio albums, three of which reached No. 1. His latest full length, In The Game, a collaboration with Susan O'Neill, was the biggest independent selling record in Ireland in 2021.

Mick has been described by Clash magazine as ‘a complete master of his craft’ whilst The Sunday Times says of his song writing that he 'conjures up exquisite story-telling’. Mick is often cited as one of Ireland's most gifted songwriters to date. Flannery has just released his brand new single, 'Goodtime Charlie', to critical acclaim.

Fire In Cairo are a Cure tribute band. The breath and range of material they cover is impressive, as is the musicianship and execution of the songs. The band also toured Ireland with Cure co-founder Lol Tolhurst.

“It all happened pretty organically,” said guitarist Manolis Pates. “Our Dublin promoter was looking to bring Lol's book tour here and suggested we play after him each night. Once we were put in contact, he agreed to possibly get up and do a song. We actually managed to get him playing on four songs, I think he really enjoyed it."

Formed in 1995, These Charming Men - Play the music of The Smiths are well known as being the premier Smiths and Morrissey tribute act around.

These Charming Men have toured extensively from Europe, to the USA and Japan, where they replaced Morrissey at the Fuji Rock Festival after he pulled out. Yes, they are that good!

If you want a realistic and faithful representation of the spirit and music of the Smiths or Morrissey, These Charming Men are your only option.

Lisa Hannigan first came to light as an angel voiced, somewhat mysterious figure singing harmonies alongside Damien Rice. They played together for seven years, but it wasn't until the release of her solo debut Sea Sew in 2008 that the full spectrum of her abilities became apparent.

A joyous kaleidoscope of love songs, laments, sea shanties and glockenspiels, with a cover hand-stitched by Lisa herself, the self-released album was a runaway success, nominated for a Choice award in Ireland and a Mercury Music Prize in the UK.

The ecstatic reception gave her the confidence to explore deeper, darker emotions. Passenger, which came out in 2011, centred around the pain of leaving and the sense of apartness consequent to a life spent in constant motion. If Sea Sew bobs beautifully on the surface, you could say that Passenger explores the undercurrents of passion and heartache beneath the waves.