Kieran Beville

A Night of Blistering Blues and Celtic Rock at Dolan’s The Lost Steps and Pat McManus Band celebrate Johnny Fean’s musical legacy The Johnny Fean Rhythm & Blues Festival got off to a magnificent start at Dolan’s Warehouse on Friday night (October 23), with two outstanding bands delivering an evening of exceptional musicianship, driving rhythms and electrifying performances. The festival, a celebration of the life and musical legacy of the late Horslips guitarist Johnny Fean, continues throughout the October Bank Holiday weekend in Shannon. The Lost Steps – A Band in Full Flight The Lost Steps brought an exhilarating blend of blues, jazz, rock and soul to the stage, with a performance distinguished by its energy, musical sophistication and sheer enjoyment. Dave Keary was in splendid form on lead guitar, delivering beautifully judged solos that combined technical brilliance with feeling. But it was the saxophone that frequently dominated proceedings, its rich, muscular sound ...

Limerick, Get Up and Rock Rock Rising brings the classics home — and wants you singing every chorus Some songs deserve more than a turn on the radio. They need a big stage, powerful voices and a roomful of people singing. Rock Rising brings that invitation to University Concert Hall, Limerick, on Friday, November 6, following the band’s recent German tour. Expect classic rock with its pulse racing: familiar anthems delivered by experienced musicians who understand that a great gig depends on what happens between the stage and the audience. Two of Limerick’s own Limerick musicians Paul ‘Frosty’ Cantillon and David Hockedy give this homecoming particular local appeal. Cantillon supplies bass guitar and vocals, anchoring the songs while bringing plenty of personality to the microphone. His rendition of Billy Idol’s ‘Rebel Yell’ attracted particular praise during the German tour. Hockedy contributes lead guitar combining the precision these celebrated songs demand with the feeling that mak...

Richard Dowling The Limerick man behind the music Mastering Engineer, Richard Dowling in his Limerick studio ( pic credit – Keith Kelly) For four decades, mastering engineer Richard Dowling has worked behind the scenes on recordings by some of the biggest names in music. Today, he does it from Wav Mastering, his purpose-built studio in his native Limerick. There are people whose names appear in small print on the back of an album but whose contribution can be heard every time the record is played. Richard Dowling is one of them. For 40 years, the Limerick mastering engineer has occupied that largely unseen territory between the recording studio and the listener. His name may not be as familiar as those of the artists whose records he has worked on, but his CV includes David Bowie, Paul McCartney, The Waterboys, Foo Fighters, Kylie Minogue, Suede, Christy Moore and The Chieftains. This year marks four decades since Dowling entered the recording industry, an appropriate moment...

  Lines That Outlive Us Limerick remembers David Lilburn and Jim Savage Connemara Landscape by Jim Savage Two faces look out from the exhibition leaflet. David Lilburn’s self-portrait is a restless gathering of lines, hair escaping in every direction, the face emerging through an intricate web of marks. Beside him, Jim Savage appears in browns and ochres, his features built from patches of light and shadow. Neither image offers the polished reassurance of a publicity photograph. These are artists looking hard at themselves and leaving us something more interesting than a likeness. They make a compelling introduction to Cuimhniodh (remembered) , the exhibition at Limerick City Gallery of Art bringing together work by Lilburn and Savage. Running until 8 November, it offers an opportunity to consider two substantial contributions to the artistic life of this city and beyond. There is an unavoidable sadness in seeing their dates: Lilburn, 1950–2021; Savage, 1950–2019. Both were...

Fean family raffles a treasured Les Paul to support Johnny Óg Maggie & Johnny Fean One of Johnny Fean’s guitars is about to find a new owner. Whoever takes it home will acquire something considerably more interesting than an instrument with a famous name attached. This Gibson Les Paul has been played by the Horslips guitarist himself. Now it is being put to work for a different kind of partnership: a boy and a Labrador called Johnny Óg. The Fean family’s decision to donate the guitar for a fundraising raffle gives this October’s musical celebrations a purpose beyond remembrance. There will be amplifiers, old friends and plenty of music. There is also a practical ambition: helping to support the work that brings trained dogs into people’s lives. A different kind of lead In a Facebook announcement, Ray Fean introduced Johnny Óg, a fully trained Labrador from Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, and explained the family’s fundraising plans. Maggie Fean is donating one of Johnny’s G...