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 BIOGRAPHY

A traditional Irish folk and ballad band, The Kilkennys are noted for their dynamic arrangements, energetic performances and charismatic rapport with audiences across the globe.

 

Picking up the mantle left by acts such as The Dubliners and The Clancy Brothers, the 4 piece group continue to conquer tour circuits in Europe and the U.S. In the past years The Kilkennys have shared the stage with renowned Irish artists such as Shane McGowan, Sharron Shannon and Finbar Furey. Continuing their hectic tour schedule 2016 saw the band perform on the main stage at Milwaukee Irish Fest - the largest Irish Festival in the world.

 

“The Kilkennys are a great band upholding the Irish Folk/Ballad tradition with a contemporary style. Matching the passion &

stories with these songs. The Kilkennys live is a fantastic show

- Barry Stapleton, Milwaukee Irish Fest

 

The band was established between schoolmates and began touring the length and breadth of Ireland in 1998. In 2008 they decided to name themselves ‘The Kilkennys' after their beloved home, Kilkenny City. Now based in South East Ireland, the group have evolved through the years and are anchored by founding members Davey Cashin (vocals, mandolin, banjo, guitar, whistles), Tommy Mackey (bass, acoustic guitar, vocals), Mick Martin ( bodhran, uilleann pipes, low whistles, guitar, vocals) and newest member Josh O'Loughlin (Banjo, Mandolin, Guitar, Bouzouki and vocals).

 

After releasing their live album and DVD ‘Meet The Kilkennys’, Radio and TV appearance soon followed, which included RTE’s Late Late Show, where they preformed their single ‘Shine on Kilkenny’ , an original song released to coincide with Kilkenny winning All Ireland hurling final for a forth year in a row, a sporting celebration also headlined by The Kilkennys. Their much acclaimed studio album ‘The Colour Of Freedom’ (2014) features a mix of original material and well known ballads like 'Rocky Road to Dublin’ and ‘South Australia’. The strong connection between the band and their music is showcased in this album, with compelling musicianship and pristine vocal harmonies.

 

Seeking to preserve their status for re-introducing Irish folk and ballads to a young audience while capturing the hearts of the more seasoned traditional music lover, The Kilkennys embark on their new show featuring new material, set to be released later in the year. The bands popularity continues to grow with every energy filled, toe tapping and hand clapping night of entertainment.

Band Members

Davey Cashin

Davey Cashin brings a huge list of traditional Irish instruments to the sound of The Kilkennys, including banjo, mandolin, guitar and Irish whistles.
A passionate musician, Davey's musical influences include the Clancy Brothers, the Wolfe Tones, Christy Moore, Sharon Shannon and The Dubliners. Growing up in Ballyfoyle, County Kilkenny, Davey was surrounded by Irish music from an early age. His father Adrian is well known in Kilkenny as an entertainer and great banjo player. It is no wonder Davey mastered his chosen instruments at such a young age.
Like his band mates Tommy and Robbie, Davey is a huge Kilkenny hurling fan and his own sporting achievements included winning many provincial and national handball titles. However, his main passion has always been music and this is evident through his performances with The Kilkennys.

Guitar / Banjo / Mandolin / Whistles / Vocals

Tommy Mackey

On bass guitar, Tommy Mackey brings a wide range of influences to the band and his distinctive style of bass playing and high harmonies are synonymous with The Kilkennys sound.
Together with Mick Martin on percussion, Mackey, helps to provide the thumping backbone to The Kilkennys distinct sound.
With a CD collection that includes everything from Christy Moore and the Wolfe Tones to U2 and Snow Patrol, Tommy is an ardent supporter of all kinds of Irish music and brings many new styles to The Kilkennys.
Tommy comes from Gathabawn, County Kilkenny, and formed the band with Davey Cashin during their school years at St Kieran’s College.

Bass / Acoustic Guitar / Vocals

Mick Martin

Hailing from County Wexford brings with him an extensive background in traditional Irish Music ha adds a new dimension to the group playing the traditional Irish Uilleann Pipes, Bodhran, and Low Whistles. 

Mick began playing music in his local Comhaltas Ceoltoiri at a young and kindled a real love of music when he took up the Bodhran. He had great interest and passion for the Uilleann pipes was lucky enough to receive lessons from the legendary Ned Wall, Ned had a massive influence on Mick's music and continues to be. 
Mick musical tastes range from traditional Irish music to pop rock genres such as Fleetwood Mac and The Police, but his biggest influences and idols in the Irish music scene are Davy Spillane, John Joe Kelly, Brian Finnegan and John Doyle, to name but a few.

Bodhrán / Whistle / Uilleann Pipes / Guitar / Vocals

Josh O'Loughlin

Josh hails from County Clare, and brings with him a wide array of instruments and musical experience. He received his first music lessons from the renowned Custy Family in Toonagh, County Clare at a young age before moving into more detailed studies with Banjo Player Marcus Moloney in Ennis for many years. Josh continued his musical studies into third level, where he received a Masters in Traditional Music Performance from DIT and Trinity College, Dublin under the guidance of Kieran Hanrahan. Josh is an experienced Banjo/Mandolin/Guitar/Bouzouki player and vocalist as well as songwriter, and has toured around the world in venues around North Africa, India, Europe, and the USA to name a few. He has played and shared stages over the years with acts such as The National Folk Orchestra of Ireland, The Noel Eccles Big Band (Moving Hearts) and The Fureys. His biggest musical influences lie not only in Irish Traditional Music (Stockton's Wing, Planxty, John Doyle, Bothy Band etc), but also in Modern Folk Music and Appalachian Music such as Lau, Kris Drever, Mumford and Sons, Crooked Still, Allison Krauss, Tim O' Brien, and Transatlantic Sessions.

Banjo / Mandolin / Guitar / Bouzouki / Vocals

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Davey
Josh
Tommy
Mick

Get Photos of The Kilkennys

Website Photo Credits : www.stage-pix.de  |  www.markzanderink.nl  | Jelle Rollema

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