Ireland’s Tradfest: The Dublin Castle Sessions

The free streaming channel Arts TWG+ presents an Irish music marathon on Friday, March 17 beginning at 11:30 a.m.

Friday, March 17 brings the beauty and history of Irish music into your home. On the holiday St. Patrick’s Day, watch (or listen to) six episodes of Tradfest: The Dublin Castle Sessions, produced by TradFest Temple Bar, in a U.S. premiere: streaming marathons on the free Arts TWG+, starting at 11:30 a.m. ET.

“Trad” is shorthand for the canon of Irish songs that date back centuries and are still performed regularly today in pubs and concerts halls across the world. Following the success of the Ireland in Music series, a music project filmed outdoors in Ireland in 2020, Tradfest has become a showcase of Irish talent, shot in stunning locations.

Tradfest: The Dublin Castle Sessions on March 17 is hosted by Fiachna Ó Braonáin of the band Hothouse Flowers, and ushers the acoustic music into historic St. Patrick’s Hall, Dublin Castle – a venerable space that has seen key moments in Irish history for centuries, including the inauguration of Irish presidents.

Performances include exclusives from David Keenan and unique collaborations between singer-songwriter Luka Bloom and the Irish alt-folk band Moxie; the singer Sive with Steve & Joe Wall; the Hothouse Flowers with Clare Sands; plus more musicians and singers. Episodes also include short conversations between musicians about music and history in Ireland. Did you know the harper (cruitire), a string instrument, pre-dates Christianity in Ireland?

Visit Arts TWG+ at 11:30 a.m., 6 p.m. and 1 a.m. to see six episodes of Tradfest: The Dublin Castle Sessions throughout St. Patrick’s Day.

Stream Arts TWG+ on the free apps and smart TV platforms of Plex, Local Now, and The Grio.