Box Office now open for for Mary Coughlan and Jiggy
Mary Coughlan will perform live on Friday 30 May in St Caimin’s Catholic Church - 8pm - €20, €18 with wristband
Jiggy’s gig is on Sunday 1 June in the Hall - 9pm - €18, €16 with wristband
Double Hit Deal – Just €35 Enjoy both headline acts - Mary Coughlan and Jiggy - for one great price, including festival wristband access to many more events. Book one or the other.
Wheelchair accessible
Mary Coughlan
Photo: Ciara Buckley
Renowned Irish jazz and blues singer Mary Coughlan is set to take centre stage at this year’s Mountshannon Arts Festival, leading an outstanding line-up of musical performances. Known for her raw, soulful voice and deeply emotive storytelling, Coughlan’s headline act promises an unforgettable evening for festivalgoers.
Mary Coughlan’s career in music has been one hell-of-a-ride. Often described as the greatest female vocalist that Ireland has ever produced, Coughlan proudly stands alongside some of the world’s most iconic jazz singers. She is unique in blending whisky-blurred, smoke-seared, husky notes with the laconic wit of Billie Holiday and Peggy Lee. She draws the line of deep, down and dirty blues singers back to Bessie Smith with the sardonic, bitter-sweet defiance and despair of Edith Piaf. Yet Mary Coughlan delivers it all in a delicious and unapologetic Irish drawl: sceptical, rueful, mournful and melting and ardent for love.
Mary Coughlan is one of our greatest singers because over 40 years she has made the most grown-up, uncompromising, wholly personal yet utterly universal music on either side of the Atlantic about what goes on between men and women. It's hard to believe that four decades have passed since Coughlan went into the studio to record her debut album, Tired and Emotional.
On new album Repeat Rewind, as the title might suggest, we see Mary at perhaps her most open, honest and introspective (‘Repeat Rewind’, ‘I Can Let Go Now’, ‘Really Gone’) – but not at the expense of her trademark humour and astute observations of everything from domesticity (‘Marital Bliss’) and relationships (‘Freefalling feat. Ultan Conlon’) to women’s traditional place in Irish society (‘More Like Brigid’). A cover of The Beach Boys’ ‘God Only Knows’ and a brand new seasonal offering, ‘Tinseltown’ will delight listeners and concert-goers alike, as MaryCoughlan celebrates four decades in music with this accomplished and heartfelt new album.
MAIL ON SUNDAY 4**** album of the week “Mary delivers a set of torch songs with fierce tenderness and precise timing. Her version of God Only Knows, the Beach Boys classic, is better than David Bowie’s”.
MOJO 4**** “Honey-voiced Irish national treasure looks over her shoulder on her 15th album”. Mark Cooper
BLUES MATTERS “A wonderful album full of great songs, and an album that reminds us who Mary Coughlan is, a brilliant artist. Stephen Harrison
GET READY TO ROCK 4**** “a soulful voice which wrings every last drop of meaning from every last word” Pete Feenstra
RAMZINE “Mary has taken all life can throw at her but she’s still got an unquenchable thirst of life & song & has put it all into this quite delightful collection of tunes”.
IRISH POST “A dramatic & passionate performer. She has a unique voice and remains one of the legends of Irish music”.
MUSIC-NEWS.COM 5***** “This album is one of the best in a long career & clearly indicates that she is still in love with music. The opening – title – track is a gentle masterpiece. An album very much to fall in love with.”
Jiggy live in Mountshannon
In 2017 ground-breaking collective Jiggy released their debut album, ‘Translate’, which Folk Radio UK Magazine described as ‘an exceptional and intoxicating album that will find its way into the heart and soul of an ever increasing audience’.
Jiggy’s mercurial line up mixes and melds Irish traditional music, world rhythms and cutting-edge dance grooves. Jiggy took the internet by storm in 2018 with their video ‘Silent Place’ celebrating the global togetherness of dance and to date it has clocked up more than 65 million views online. This introduced the band to a brand new audience worldwide and their debut album ‘Translate’ went to number 1 in the world music charts in Ireland, United States, Canada, France, Australia, Poland & UK making them a big hit with festival audiences across the globe. Jiggy have performed in the USA, India, Kazakhstan, Europe and UK.
Jiggy followed ‘Translate’ by releasing. ‘ Hypernova ‘ in 2020. Their second album continued exploring the tradition of their musical ancestors while bringing a whole new exotic flavour to the table. ‘Hypernova’ also went on to reach number 1 in the world music charts. Jiggy’s musicianship is undeniable, with each member showcasing impressive skills on their respective instruments. The band’s arrangements are complex and thoughtfully crafted, highlighting the strengths of each individual musician while also working together to create a cohesive sound.
Moreover, Jiggy’s stage presence is electrifying. The band’s energy is infectious, and they have a natural charisma that draws the audience in and creates a sense of unity and celebration. It’s impossible not to feel the joy and passion emanating from the stage during a Jiggy performance.
Jiggy are currently working on their third album which will be released in 2025.
Press
“Jiggy are best served live and would be a shoe in for any one of those huge summer Celtic festivals on the continent. Play Hypernova loud at your next family sundown barbecue, it’s a sizzler” – Irish Music Magazine
“Gloriously tuneful, genre-defying, utterly irresistible. I’m still finding it seductive and charming, the appeal just doesn’t fade” – fRoots Magazine
“Jiggy’s music is a riot of colours and sounds, an explosive mix of traditional Irish music and contemporary global beats that will leave you breathless and exhilarated” – FolkWorld Magazine