The Kilkennys at the Irish Centre

Join us for an evening with Ireland's best international folk group, as they return to the Tyneside Irish Centre in February 2026!

The Kilkenny's bring their mix of ballads and international traditional Irish folk, fresh from their European tour. Noted for their dynamic arrangements, energetic performances and charismatic rapport with audiences across the globe, they are picking up the mantle left by acts like The Dubliners and The Clancy Brothers and have shared the stage with renowned Irish artists such as Shane McGowan, Sharron Shannon and Finbar Furey.

The band was established between schoolmates and began touring the length and breadth of Ireland in 1998. In 2008 they decided to name themselves ‘The Kilkennys' after their beloved home, Kilkenny City. Now based in South East Ireland, the group have evolved through the years and are anchored by founding members Davey Cashin(vocals, mandolin, banjo, guitar, whistles), Tommy Mackey(bass, acoustic guitar, vocals), and Mick Martin(bodhran, uilleann pipes, low whistles, guitar, vocals).

After releasing their live album and DVD ‘Meet The Kilkennys’, radio and TV appearances soon followed. These included RTE’s Late Late Show, where they preformed their single ‘Shine on Kilkenny’, an original song released to coincide with Kilkenny winning the All Ireland hurling final for a forth year in a row, a sporting celebration also headlined by The Kilkennys. Their much acclaimed studio album ‘The Colour Of Freedom’ (2014) features a mix of original material and well known ballads like 'Rocky Road to Dublin’ and ‘South Australia’.

The bands popularity continues to grow with every energy filled, toe tapping and hand clapping night of entertainment. This is an evening not to be missed!