Galway TradFest 2026: Shannon, McGoldrick and the next generation
by 
Babylon Radio
Listen nowFeatured archive photo: Sharon Shannon performing at the Philadelphia Folk Festival’s Celtic Afternoon, 21 August 2016. Sharon Shannon 04 by Montgomery County Planning Commission, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized and displayed with a centered crop; the cropped photo remains under the same licence. This is not a photograph of Galway TradFest 2026.
Sharon Shannon and Mike McGoldrick will share the Black Box Theatre stage with around 80 young musicians on 13 November. Their CASADH concert is the clearest introduction to Galway TradFest 2026, which runs across Galway from 9 to 15 November: established performers playing alongside the next generation, with Irish-language song, workshops and evening gigs elsewhere in the programme.
For anyone getting to know Galway through its music, the useful distinction is between concerts you can book and activities arranged for particular schools or youth groups. A full-looking festival timetable does not mean every event is open to walk-in visitors. Choose an evening performance, or check the requirements carefully if a young musician in your family wants to take part.
Shannon and McGoldrick at the Black Box
CASADH starts at 7.30pm on Friday 13 November, with guitarist Patrick Doocey joining Shannon, McGoldrick and the youth ensemble. The young performers will have prepared through workshops and rehearsals. That collaboration gives the evening its particular character: the students are part of the concert, rather than simply its audience.
The theatre lists tickets at €25 and a running time of 110 minutes, including an interval. Check the booking page for current availability and any final charges before paying. The venue is the Black Box Theatre, not the Town Hall Theatre’s main auditorium, even though bookings run through the Town Hall’s website.
Plan a Galway art afternoon at TULCA
Archive photo: Sharon Shannon at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, 20 August 2016. Sharon Shannon 03 by Montgomery County Planning Commission, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized and displayed with a centered crop; the cropped photo remains under the same licence.
Irish-language singing in Furbo, folk songs in Loughrea
The previous evening, GLÓR takes place at the Connemara Coast Hotel in Furbo on Thursday 12 November. Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm show. Séamus and Caoimhe Uí Fhlatharta and Máire Ní Churraoin join young singers from Connemara’s Gaeltacht schools. It is a chance to hear Irish-language singing in the setting of an intergenerational concert; the programme does not promise an English translation.
On Friday 13 November, Niall Teague and Pádraic Joyce take their Lost on the Wander tour to Mount Carmel in Loughrea at 8pm. The duo’s June 2026 album brings together original songs drawing on folk, Americana, roots and Irish influences. This is an alternative to CASADH, not a second stop to squeeze into the same evening. Use each event’s booking link for its own admission arrangements.
Which young musicians can join the masterclasses?
The GEATA masterclasses take place at Coláiste Bhaile Chláir in Claregalway on Saturday 14 November. Registration begins at 10.30am, followed by the 11am–3pm programme. The main classes are for musicians aged eight to 18 who already play at improver to advanced level, not beginners. The organiser advertises €25 including booking fees, with advance booking essential.
Several classes are marked as Gaeilge, including flute and whistle, fiddle, accordion, concertina and sean-nós dancing. Check the language of your chosen class as well as its instrument and level.
There is an important exception to that experience requirement: the separate Music for All workshop at 11am is designed for children and young people with additional needs, and requires no previous musical experience. Contact the organiser about the appropriate session and support arrangements before booking; do not assume the main instrumental classes follow the same format.
Seán Keane’s school performances are for participating school communities and invited families. They should not be treated as public concerts when planning a day out.
A separate Sunday night with NOTIFY
For an adult evening, NOTIFY launches For Now at Monroe’s Live Backstage on Sunday 15 November. Doors open at 8pm, which is not a confirmed stage time. The six-piece brings concertina, fiddle, drums, piano, electric bass and guitars together. The venue advertises €27.50, comprising a €25 ticket and €2.50 charge, and specifies over-18s.
Monroe’s shows are independently organised, separate from Music Generation Galway County’s children’s programme. Check the individual venue and booking conditions rather than assuming one festival ticket or age policy covers everything. Locations range from Galway city to Furbo, Claregalway and Loughrea, so plan the journey home before choosing your evening.