The Blackwater Céilí Band made history in Drogheda in 2018 when they became only the third Ulster ensemble to win the Senior All-Ireland Céilí Band championship – and the first based in Co. Tyrone.
The band’s success was all the more remarkable since they were only formed in 2015. Following the All-Ireland win, the band toured extensively throughout Ireland and Britain and released their debut album, Music in the Valley. in 2019 to critical acclaim.
Their long-awaited second album, Northern Landscape, produced by the prolific Dónal O’Connor at Redbox in Belfast, includes contributions from three guest singers – fellow Tyrone natives, Niall Hanna and Ciara Fox, and Jack Warnock from neighbouring Derry.
Track Listing:
- Farrell O’Gara’s/The Maids of Mount Kisco/Billy Brocker’s (reels)
- The One That Was Lost/Packie’s Wandering Minstrel/The Four Six (jigs)
- Sweet Omagh Town (song) with Niall Hanna
- The Tailor’s March (march)
- Master McDermott’s/The Widow’s Daughter/The Bloom of Youth (reels)
- The Hills of South Armagh (song) with Ciara Fox
- Tom O’Dowd’s Favourite/Maghera Mountain/Love at the Endings (reels)
- The Old Claddagh Ring/Sunday’s Well (waltzes)
- The Trip to Athlone/Scatter the Mud/The Bank’s of Newfoundland (jigs)
- Mary and the Soldier (song) with Jack Warnock
- O’Keeffe’s/The Abbeyfeale/Kings of Kerry (slides)
- Old Mickey McKiernan’s/The Templehouse/The Killavil Fancy (reels)
Musicians:
Ryan Hackett piano accordion
Michael Curran button accordion
James McCaffrey flute
Michael Coney flute
Rosie Ferguson fiddle
Lydia Warnock fiddle
Eugene McKenna fiddle
Ursula McAdam fiddle
George McAdam drums
Mark McCrystall piano
Guests:
Ciara Fox vocals
Niall Hanna vocals
Jack Warnock vocals
The album is available from www.blackwaterceiliband.com at a cost of £12.
