Growing up with music, European tours, two bands and Portlaoise Tradfest

The LoveLaois Podcast returns and we bring you an interview that we can almost certainly guarantee that, should you listen to it, it will make you laugh. Alan and Steven are joined by two of the main men behind Portlaoise TradFest - Ruaidhri Tierney and Bill O'Brien. The Portlaoise duo are music mad and they begin with a chat about their musical careers to date. How Comhaltas shaped them as children and instilled a love of traditional music that burns bright today. Tierney was on a European tour with his band Buíoch last year and they have just recently completed a series of gigs in the Guinness Store House. Speaking on the Podcast, the lads have unveiled an exciting and diverse programme for this year’s TradFest, which returns to Portlaoise over the May Bank Holiday weekend.Now in its fourth year, the festival will once again celebrate Irish traditional music through a wide range of events designed to appeal to both performers and audiences of all ages.Across the weekend, festival-goers can enjoy a series of headline concerts, alongside late-night entertainment and a lively festival club atmosphere.Traditional music sessions will take place throughout the town, bringing a vibrant energy to local venues and creating opportunities for both musicians and spectators to get involved.Workshops will form a key part of the programme, offering musicians of all levels the chance to learn from experienced performers, while a variety of youth-focused events aim to encourage the next generation of traditional artists.These include dedicated youth sessions, an inclusive session, and the popular Youth Trad Battle.The festival will also feature a mix of performances across the weekend, with gigs taking place in established venues as well as informal settings, ensuring a balance between structured concerts and spontaneous music-making.Late-night DJ sets will add to the festival atmosphere, rounding off each evening.You can get the full details of the festival here.