Concert fundraiser for cathedral

Award-winning singer for Killaloe show

The founder of acclaimed folk duo Show of Hands brings his acclaimed solo tour to one of Ireland's most historic cathedrals on April 15. St Flannan's Cathedral, Killaloe, is delighted to announce that Steve Knightley — multi-award-winning singer-songwriter and founder of the legendary folk/roots duo Show of Hands — will perform a solo concert at the cathedral. Doors open at 7.30pm and the concert begins at 8pm.

Tickets are priced at €20 for this unique fundraisinger in aid of the cathedral restoration appeal. If you haven’t encountered Steve Knightley before, think of the storytelling power of Christy Moore, the acoustic precision of Paul Brady, and the social conscience of Ewan MacColl — and you are in the right territory.

Knightley writes songs that are rooted in place and community, that take the long view of history, and that trust an audience to listen. One of his compositions, ‘The Galway Farmer’, has passed so completely into the tradition that many in Ireland hear it as a folk song that has always been there. It hasn’t — but that is the measure of the man. As co-founder of Show of Hands, praised by Peter Gabriel as “one of the great English bands”, and named BBC Radio 6 Music’s Songwriter of the Nineties, Knightley has spent more than three decades filling folk clubs, theatres, and cathedrals with audiences who come back year after year.

The evening at St Flannan’s will be his first opportunity to introduce himself to many in this area — and those who come will not forget it. With Show of Hands now on an indefinite hiatus, Knightley has been touring as a solo artist, presenting an evening of songs drawn from across his remarkable career — and from his recently released solo album The Winter Yards (2024). The solo setting strips the music back to its essentials: voice, acoustic guitar, and the kind of direct, unhurried connection with an audience that has always been at the heart of his work.

Ahead of the concert, Steve Knightley said: “It’s a real joy to be returning to Ireland for this tour, and especially to be playing at St Flannan’s Cathedral. Ireland has always held a special place in my heart — my grandmothers were Irish, so there’s a deep family connection there. To perform in such a beautiful and historic cathedral, and to do so at the invitation of my old friend Dean Richard Marsh, makes the occasion even more meaningful. I’m very much looking forward to sharing the songs in such a special setting.”

Dean Richard Marsh, who has extended the personal invitation to Knightley, said: “We are greatly looking forward to welcoming Steve to St Flannan’s. This is a place of living history, and it seems entirely fitting that an artist whose work is so deeply rooted in place, story, and the long memory of a community should perform here. We hope this will be a memorable evening for everyone who comes.”

St Flannan’s Cathedral stands on a site of Christian worship dating back to the seventh century and is one of the oldest and most significant ecclesiastical buildings in the diocese of Killaloe. Its intimate stone interior provides an exceptional acoustic setting for an evening of acoustic folk and roots music.

TICKET DETAILS

Tickets for this special show at St Flannan’s Cathedral are available at Eventbrite.ie and will also be available on the door.