From the Disney Parks Blog and written by: Thomas Smith
This Labor Day weekend, the annual “Great Irish Hooley” is back again for its 6th year at Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant. This unique celebration of Irish song, dance, food and drink kicks off at 3:00pm on Friday, September 1st and continues throughout the long weekend, into the wee hours of Monday, September 4th. Be sure to stop by for a pint of Guinness at the restaurant’s 130-year-old bar, imported straight from Ireland, or grab a table for a fix of authentic contemporary Irish cuisine.
This year, Central Florida’s only boutique Irish festival features the most diverse lineup in its history, and promises an authentic music festival for families and merrymakers alike. With no cover charge, the “Hooley” combines delicious food and drink with entertainment and fun! The celebration even features Celtic-inspired face-painting Saturday through Monday.
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The “Great Irish Hooley” promises for a “rollicking” good time, and headliners for this year’s festivities include:
- Elevation — Back by popular demand and appearing at Raglan Road for the first time in four years, this stellar U2 tribute act will play two special nighttime shows on September 2 and 3, paying homage to the U2 world tour celebrating 30 years of the ground-breaking “The Joshua Tree” album.
- Lisa Canny Band – The outrageously talented Lisa Canny and her band combine traditional Irish, R&B and Hip Hop. She will appear at Raglan Road for three weeks beginning August 30, and will perform nightly during the Hooley.
- Gary O’Meara Band – O’Meara is a traditional Irish banjo player with a prolific career as a solo artist and as a member of multiple legendary Irish music acts.
Of course, the Raglan Road Irish Dancers will be on-hand to show off and perform their iconic Irish dance moves throughout the “Great Irish Hooley”, as will campion Irish dancer and Raglan Road’s show choreographer, Ciaran Keating. During the weekend, Ciaran will host an event tracing the origins of Irish dance from the earliest jigs and reels, through contemporary times.
Additional music acts scheduled for the weekend festivities include:
- The Raglan Roots Coalition – Raglan felt it was time to shake its boogie – Roots style, with this authentic Irish house band. Think soul-rocking Celtic bluegrass with some hip-swingin’, knee-shakin’ funky roots beats.
- Jake Richardson – Jake is a singer-songwriter-musician from Dublin whose passion for music inspires audiences as he entertains with unique vocals and catchy songs.
- Over the Bar – This vibrant four-piece, predominantly Irish traditional group showcases their high-energy talent during live shows that also include folk, blues and soul.
- Rollickin’ Rua – This fresh traditional Irish music ensemble from Ireland and Scotland create a cacophonous crescendo of music and song with their clash of Celtic cultures.
- Aaron O’Sullivan – A singer-songwriter and guitarist from County Cork, O’Sullivan entertains with a mixture of traditional Irish ballads and modern Irish songs.
For a full entertainment schedule, visit www.raglanroad.com and www.greatirishhooley.com.
We hope to see you out there celebrating with Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant this Labor Day Weekend! Be sure to share your photos from the “Great Irish Hooley” and tag @DisneySprings and @RaglanRoadPub on Instagram and Twitter.
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