July gig at the Black Mills, Roscrea

Roscrea Heritage Society was delighted to host local artists Passing Through (Bobby Fahy, Sinéad Browne and Colin Williams) in the Black Mills for their June session.

On the night, they performed an eclectic mix of folk songs, blues, Americana and rock ‘n’ roll. The audience were in for a real treat as they were captivated by performances such as Bobby Fahy’s beautiful rendition of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Bird on a Wire’, Sinéad Browne’s stirring rendition of ‘The Night Visiting Song’ acapella and Colin William’s heart touching song he composed about Roscrea’s own Paddy Kiely ‘The Song that Paddy Sings’. A fantastic night was had by all. Roscrea Heritage Society would like to thank Passing Through for their fabulous performance, Eileen Garvey and the OPW for providing the venue, and to all who came on the night. Your support is very much appreciated.

DIARY DATE

Next up on the Black Mills Sessions on Friday, July 28 (8 – 10pm), the society will host local artists Eddie Simmons and Dayna Quinlan. Eddie and Dayna will share the stage with St Cronan’s High Cross, a fascinating relic that once sat in a graveyard across the road from the Black Mills. The mill dates from the first half of the eighteenth century and is located near the eleventh century Round Tower and twelfth century Romanesque church.

The acoustic properties of the mill make an ideal venue to host music performances. Eddie and Dayna will perform a mix of songs including acoustic/country, pop and own compositions.

Eddie is a singer/songwriter from Roscrea. He found his love for playing music at a young age in front of small crowds in local bars. He is no stranger to the stage as he has opened shows for acts such as Aslan, Mundy, the Blizzards, and also The Revs in the Academy back in 2018. He has performed many times on Irish radio stations such as Spin South West and Beat 102 103.

Eddie has travelled around Europe playing gigs in many countries, such as Germany, Austria and Spain to name a few. He started posting videos of himself singing on social media back in 2021 and has amassed more than 90,000 followers since. Eddie released two singles in 2023 and both reached number 2 on the Irish iTunes Charts.

Dayna is a 16-year-old singer/songwriter from Roscrea. She has been singing since a very young age and has recently started writing her own songs. Dayna’s passion for music shines through in everything she does. She attends the Midland Drama School in Tullamore where she has been completing her grades in Musical Theatre and has been nominated for an award of excellence on several occasions. In 2021 Dayna won ‘Offaly’s Next Superstar’ competition where Simon Casey described her as a “real natural” and awarded her top marks. Dayna is currently a member of Roscrea Musical Society; she played the role of Reflecta in the Christmas panto and Vivian in their 80th anniversary production of Oklahoma.

The society is looking forward to a great evening with this talented duo. As seating is limited, tickets (€10) must be purchased in advance through eventbrite.com. A great evening is promised. Bígí linn!