Longwood Debut
A leader of the new generation of traditional Irish ensembles, multi-award-winning quintet Goitse was forged in the white-hot creative crucible of Limerick’s Irish World Academy.
Colm Phelan, bodhrán
Áine McGeeney, fiddle, vocals
Conal O’Kane, guitar
Alan Reid, banjo, bouzouki
Daniel Collins, piano, accordion
Named Live Ireland’s Traditional Group of the Year and Chicago Irish American News’ Group of the Year, as well as the winner of the prestigious Freiburger International Leiter 2016 award in Germany, Goitse’s distinctive sound lies in the quality of its own compositions interspersed with age-old traditional tunes—making each performance unique. Goitse has released six critically acclaimed recordings and maintains a year-round touring schedule that includes performances throughout Ireland, the UK, Germany, France, and the United States.
Laying the foundations for the music are World and All-Ireland Bodhrán Champion Colm Phelan and Conal O’Kane, who is quickly making a name for himself as one of the finest guitarists of his generation. The gripping rhythm section sets a powerful drive for the music while the sweet, charismatic voice of Áine McGeeney draws audiences into a song the way few performers can. Multi-instrumentalist Alan Reid features mainly on banjo and bouzouki, drawing from an extensive knowledge of archival collections of Irish music that enriches the band’s repertoire. Daniel Collins is a multi-instrumentalist All-Ireland Champion and is known for his distinctively intricate bass work on accordion.