Live shows return to Westport Town Hall

LIVE shows return to Westport Town Hall this month, with Padraig Jack playing on September 12 to celebrate the forthcoming release of his album, Making Sand, and his new single, ‘Minnie’.

The event will be run in accordance with all HSE guidelines, and all shows will be socially distanced and allow for an audience of 40 people.

Making Sand will be released this month, after its original April release date was postponed. ‘Minnie’ was released in the UK last October to excellent reviews and lots of airplay.

Padraig composed the song on a stormy winter night in Aran a few years ago. It was the first song he recorded with legendary music producer John Reynolds (Sinéad O’Connor, Damien Dempsey, Shane McGowan) who went on to produce Padraig’s album.

‘Minnie’ tells the story of a woman who has lost her way in life and is trapped in a loveless marriage. When she ends up in a whirlwind affair with a younger man he reminds her that there can be joy in life and that it’s not too late to ‘reignite her spark’. Eventually they part ways after a passionate evening under a Galway sunset, and Minnie seeks and eventually finds lasting love.

Padraig Jack is from a musical family from the Aran Islands. His dad is bilingual songwriter Barry Ronan and he is the nephew of the Irish poet and Aosdána member Mary O’Malley.

Like his father, Padraig is proudly bilingual and writes music in both Irish and English. With influences ranging from James Taylor and The Eagles to Van Morrison and Shane McGowan, Padraig appreciates strong songwriting with a distinct point of view. He might describe his music as a mix between R.E.M. and Sinead O’Connor.

Although playing live is usually a huge part of Padraig’s career, he has had to postpone tours in the UK, Ireland, Germany and France in recent months (no prizes for guessing what the cause of that is!).

However, in October and November he will be playing with Damien Dempsey at five dates around the country. For those who can’t travel to see him, Padraig will be livestreaming a concert on September 27, so keep an eye on https://www.padraigjack.com/ and his social media feeds.