Shows

It's All New at the Auld Shebeen

 Since May we've become Friday night regulars at The Auld Shebeen, Fairfax, Va.'s newest Irish pub. We return for several Friday and Saturday night gigs in June, July and August. Check the schedule above, build up an appetite and come join us. We recommend the Shepherd's Pie, the Guinness and, of course, the black pudding.

Blarin'  o' the Green

 We served up Saint Patrick's day entertainment Na Maragan style at the National Press Club in Washington on March 17. Yes, the National Press Club, where Irish presidents, prime ministers and politicians of all stripes have appeared. None of them were there that evening, but three long sets of Irish and  Scottish tunes kept the nation's scriveners reeling well into the evening. Or was that the Guinness served at the Reliable Source bar?

A Na Maragan Christmas

 This wasn't a heart-warming television special starring Liam, Ed and a truckload of black pudding, but an annual house party  thrown by the organizers of the Virginia Scottish Games. We've provided entertainment -- mostly musical -- at the party for several years. Our thanks to the Brooks family, the incredible hosts. Nollaig Chridheil!

St. Andrew's Day at the NPC

Our first gig at the National Press Club. The crowd was small, but they do have some good single malt at the bar ...

The Longest Gig

When we arrived at the Alexandria Scottish Heritage Fair last September, we anticipated an hour-long gig, tops. That was before we learned all the other bands scheduled to perform that day had cancelled. Each one of them.

So our brief gig became our longest concert ‑- five full hours on stage. By the end of the day Ed's fingers were worn down to the knuckles and Liam's lips were flapping in the wind, but our small corner of the world was saved.

Special thanks to Doris Swisshelm, entertainment coordinator for the event, Kelly and the Manx Brigade for the beer (gura mie mooar eu as slaynt vie!), Ed’s personal manager, Janelle, and our mascot, Tucker the wonder dog.

U.S. National Mòd

This is not our typical gig: the Mòd is a competition in Gaelic song, and Na Maragan provided instrumental music during interludes in the competitions. We enjoyed the Sept. 10-12 event, which is sponsored by An Comunn Gaidhealach America and held each year at the Ligonier Highland Games in Western Pennsylvania.

Thanks to the Mòd for inviting us to perform, and thanks to Seorus Caimbeul and xxxx for lending us a hand on stage.

 

Potomac Celtic Festival

We had a fantastic weekend at the Potomac Celtic Festival June 12-13 in Leesburg, Va.

Na Maragan played four sets on the Family Stage, plus a few impromptu sets for children's games, not to mention the Prose and Poetry stage we commandeered in the woods for a late afternoon rehearsal.

We introduced the John Walsh mouth-blown small pipes to our audience at the PCF, playing several harmonica-bagpipe duets, a new sound for Na Maragan (and our audience, to boot!).

The Family Stage performances are a bit of a departure for us, as they involve a good deal of storytelling (the audience is younger than usual, too). It's a good chance for us to share some of the stories and traditions that often accompany Gaelic songs and tunes and help put the music in context for our audience.

Our thanks to that Welsh Wonder, Pamela Haines, who invited us to perform at the Family Stage for a second year, and Sally Barnhart.