Buncrana musician Jim Woods to headline Féile an Phobail in West Belfast
Buncrana traditional musician Jim Woods is set for another one of the biggest nights of his musical career, taking to the stage at Féile an Phobail in Falls Park, West Belfast, on Sunday August 9, before a crowd expected to top 10,000.
Expert accordion and bodhrán player joins Derek Warfield and The Young Wolfe Tones to headline the festival's closing night in Falls Park.
Jim, a well-known accordion and bodhrán player across the Inishowen and Derry traditional music scene, headlines the festival's closing night on the Let The People Sing stage alongside Derek Warfield and The Young Wolfe Tones. As one of the first members of The Young Wolfe Tones, he said he was delighted to join the band for a concert celebrating this vibrant community.
He takes to the stage alongside his sister, Damaris Woods, whose distinctive banjo playing is the driving force behind The Young Wolfe Tones sound. Jim Woods will feature on accordion and bodhrán, playing alongside Belfast's own Paddy McGrandles and fellow band members Andreas Durkin and Eddie Kane.
Joining them for a song will be Ailish Ferry (granddaughter of the legendary Dermot Obrien from Co.Louth).
Jim Woods said he is also delighted to be joined on stage by his two sons, Odhrán and Dallán Woods.
Both young men have become familiar names in their own right through the award-winning Irish film Trad, directed by Lance Daly. Dallán took one of the film's starring roles in front of the camera, while Odhrán worked behind the scenes doing visual effects.
Around Buncrana and Derry, Jim Woods is perhaps best known for making music fun and enjoyable for young people. That work continues after the festival: in September he returns to teaching at Scoil Trad in Buncrana and in primary schools across Donegal.
His musical reach has extended well beyond the northwest in recent times. As reported previously, Jim Woods and his sister Damaris arranged, produced and played on a track featured in the Netflix blockbuster House of Guinness, and his music has also featured on two episodes in the TV series iZombie.
Derek Warfield and The Young Wolfe Tones headline the closing Sunday of this year's Féile an Phobail on the Let The People Sing stage.
Feile an Phobail is one of Ireland's largest community arts festivals, which is also welcoming performers including The 2 Johnnies, Kneecap and The Saw Doctors.