Ravengale Rocked The Night

 

Ravengale Rocked The Night

By Kieran Beville

Ravengale released their album ‘Don’t Wake The Day’ (6th June, 2025) 

In a city carved by rain and rebellion, where river currents hum the tune of working-class grit and poetic defiance, Limerick has birthed another musical resurrection. Enter Ravengale, the veteran rock outfit whose name once echoed in pubs, backrooms and staged venues across Munster. After years in hibernation, they’re back—and not quietly.

Their new album, Don’t Wake the Day, is more than a comeback—it’s a reclamation.

Ravengale isn’t your typical reunion act. Formed from the ashes and aftershocks of some of Limerick’s most storied bands—The Groove, The Outfit, The O’Malleys, Toucan Dance, and Tuesday Blue—the four-piece has roots that stretch deep into the city’s musical marrow. Ger Costelloe (vocals/guitar), Tom Jones (guitar/keys), Bryan Healy (bass), and Eddie Clancy (drums) don’t just play music—they embody a legacy.

The album itself feels like a vinyl time machine wired through modern amps. There’s grit in the grooves, soul in the melodies, and the kind of blues-rock muscle that only comes from decades of gigs, heartbreaks, and smoke-filled rehearsal rooms. Of the ten tracks, three are cherished originals from their early days—revived and reworked with a weathered elegance. The remaining seven are new, penned in the fever of rediscovery, born in studio but bled from memory.

Where Don’t Wake the Day shines brightest is in its refusal to chase trends. Instead, Ravengale lean into what they’ve always done best—raw, unpolished storytelling through sound. Jones’s keyboard (on the CD) produced sounds like they’ve been hauled straight from the heart and honed with precision. I had forgotten just how good a guitarist Tom Jones is. On the night of the launch/gig his playing was impeccable, an incredible talent. His brother (Pat, I think) stood in to play keyboard. Brian Healy and Eddie Clancy anchor the band with a rhythm section that doesn’t miss a beat and it feels relentless with a deeply human pulse.

And then there’s Costelloe—his superb voice (mature and confident, as a front-man should be) like the rumble of a Harley Davidson on a sunny day, cutting through each track like a man who’s seen too much to fake it now. Definitely his love of Reggae comes through the music and voice.

To mark their return, Ravengale took to the stage upstairs at Dolans iconic music venue on June 6th—a venue that’s become both a rite of passage and a sanctuary for Limerick’s music faithful. For long-time fans, the night was a reunion with the sounds that once filled their youth. The event was completely sold out and the gig didn’t disappoint in reproducing the superb quality of the album. In addition to playing the album tracks the band played several other numbers. There was no way they were getting away without an encore. They returned to the stage, drawn by rapturous applause, to offer a couple more songs – a truly delightful evening. The CD is selling for €15 and to be honest it is one of the best music albums I have had the pleasure of adding to my collection – masterfully produced.

In a scene that often moves too fast to remember its past, Ravengale are a necessary reminder: some sounds don’t fade—they ferment. Don’t Wake the Day is a declaration. Limerick’s soul never left. It just took a while tuning up.

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