Mayo festival showcased in new Blas Bluegrass series

WESTPORT Folk and Bluegrass Festival is to be showcased in new television series Blas Bluegrass, screening on Sundays from June 7 at 9.30 p.m. on TG4.

Blas Bluegrass is a brand-new Irish roots music series that takes viewers on a vibrant musical journey across the country, exploring the thriving world of Old Time and Bluegrass music in Ireland today.

The series is presented by Corofin musician Enda Scahill. Enda is an banjo, mandolin and tenor guitar player and is is a four-time All-Ireland champion.

The series is rooted in the acclaimed Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival - a three-day curated event held annually each June that showcases leading artists from Ireland, Europe, the USA and beyond. Established in 2007, the festival has grown to become widely recognised as Ireland’s premier celebration of Bluegrass, American Old Time and Folk music, providing the perfect backdrop for a series that celebrates the growing energy and influence of roots music across Ireland.

Across the series, Enda will meet the musicians carrying these traditions forward while forging new sounds, rhythms and creative connections between Irish artists and their counterparts in the United States.

For decades, Irish audiences have embraced cross-cultural musical collaborations, often without fully realising the deep historical and cultural ties that underpin these traditions.

Blas Bluegrass examines how American Old Time and Bluegrass continue to evolve in Ireland, connecting naturally with Irish traditional and folk music while creating something entirely distinctive in the process.

Through vibrant live performances, intimate jam sessions and personal stories, the series offers a fresh and compelling look at the enduring exchange between Irish and American roots music traditions. Featuring interviews and musical 'postcards' from Irish musicians across the country who have been keeping the Bluegrass and Old-Time traditions alive, Blas Bluegrass captures the shared spirit, storytelling and musical kinship that continue to unite these genres across generations and geographies.

Blas Bluegrass is produced by Power Pictures and begins on TG4 on Sunday, June 7, at 9.30 p.m.