Trad Folkin’ Rocks set to Hunt The Wren this St Stephen’s Day, December 26

Trad Folkin’ Rocks returns to Limerick’s The Commercial, The Record room, and the city itself for another “banger of a gig” on St Stephen’s Day. Rocky, owner of The Commercial and Meadhbh (AKA DJ Hot Whiskey) who is organising this gig with the Trad Folkin’ Rocks crew! Photo: Calvin/@artofcalvyn

Trad Folkin’ Rocks are once again bringing another banger of a gig to The Commercial, The Record Room and Limerick City itself On St Stephen’s Day, the 26th of December

This Trad Folkin’ Rocks gig is a jam-packed, all-day, city-wide gig inspired by the pagan tradition of “Hunting The Wren” which was historically celebrated in Ireland and the Isle of Man where people, “Wrenboys”, would hunt a wren bird while clad in straw costumes and while displaying the bird would sing songs while looking for donations.

This year’s event will see the group support Mid West Simon Community with their collection.

The day will kick off at 2 PM with a “Wren Parade” through the city, meeting at St Mary’s Parish Men’s Shed where participants are told to bring their own instruments and “just follow us around town”.

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At 4 PM an open trad session will bring some mighty craic to The Commercial with the Tinteán musicians. The tinteán musicians bring beautiful trad and folk music to The Commercial every Tuesday night and they’ll be bringing the same vibes on the 26th! This session is always open and welcoming to all who play trad or want to learn trad music!

From 8pm there will be a free gig in the Record Room with Shroomie, Ailíse, Major Feen and DJ Hot Whiskey playing until late

Organisers have said, “This whole event is Free but we will be taking donations in aid of The Simon Community and will have donation buckets and QR code.”

Shroomie is a folk punk musician based in Limerick who has been performing for several years in Limerick City. His untidy personal songs are full of energy and paired with lathered-on clown makeup create a captivating stage presence. He takes influences from artists like Jinx Lennon and Junior Brother.

Ali Hayes who goes by the stage name “Ailíse” is a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist from County Clare. She made the journey across the pond to the US in 2022 and has played at numerous venues across South Florida. Ailíse is very proud of her Irish heritage and incorporates traditional techniques, instruments and the Irish language into her performances. She takes influence from some of the best Irish artists such as Luke Kelly, Dolores O’Riordan and Cara Dillon, any performance from her will take you back in time and evoke true emotion from the heart.

Major Feen are a Gatch Folk 4 piece based in Limerick City, consisting of Colm, Craig, Slim Céilí and Red. Formed earlier this year, the group has been crafting their blend of styles and influences through gigs and sessions alike. They’ve been lifting the roof off many local venues including the Record Room, Pharmacia and Pot Duggans.

Limerick’s newest DJ, Meadhbh Hayes under the moniker DJ Hot Whiskey will be bringing you the best trad-rave bops.

Simon Community’s mission is to provide people experiencing homelessness with a sense of identity and promote meaningful engagement in a non-judgmental way.

By providing emergency accommodation, permanent housing, access to food and support services, we build a sense of independence, hope, and community.

Trad Folkin’ Rocks is a collective of musicians, artists, producers and collaborators with like-minded goals and ambitions for the enhancement of Traditional Irish Music, Arts, and Culture, and a vision for its continued development, integration and reach.

Speaking about the group, they say “We are a not-for-profit organisation that champions the positive promotion of Traditional Irish Arts by devising creative ways to access and interact with audiences. We support Traditional Irish Artists and endeavour to create professional performance opportunities for them to exhibit their material and fine-tune their performances.”