Some of Ireland's best to visit uNi CoffeehouseDate: 12/28/2009 SPRINGFIELD - On Jan. 9 at 8 p.m., the uNi Coffeehouse Concert Series will present Aoife Clancy and Robbie O'Connell of the Clancy Legacy. The concert will take place at the Unitarian Universalist Society Meeting-house, 245 Porter Lake Drive.
Together in concert Aoife Clancy (pronounced "Eefa") and Robbie O'Connell share the joy of presenting the very best of Irish and Irish-influenced songs, tunes and humor. From the high energy of a song of rebellion to a gentle country air, audiences can hear the echo of their biological, cultural and musical relationship to the legendary Clancy Brothers, right down to the beat of the bodhran and the rhythms of their guitars.
Clancy is the daughter of Bobby Clancy of the Clancy Brothers. O'Connell is a nephew of the Clancy Brothers and performed with them on tours and recordings. These two Irish-born cousins frequently perform together, taking the name Clancy Legacy when joined by D nal Clancy (the son of Liam Clancy).
Clancy has been performing ever since her father placed a guitar in her hands at age 10; by age 14 she was playing with her father in nearby pubs. She has spent her career performing at festivals and concerts sharing the stage with some of Ireland's greatest performers, including Caribbean cruises with the Clancy Brothers.
For the past four years Clancy has toured extensively, doing no less than 200 dates a year throughout the United States and Europe. She has been a featured soloist with orchestras such as the Boston Pops and Cincinnati Pops and, while performing with Cherish the Ladies, collaborated with the Boston Pops on their Grammy nominated Celtic album. Now with seven recordings under her belt in the last decade, Clancy has clearly established herself as one of the divas of Irish and contemporary folk music.
O'Connell also grew up in County Tipperary, Ireland, where he began to play guitar and sing at age 13 and soon became a regular performer at the local hotel's weekly folk concerts. He began touring with his uncles in 1977 and recorded three albums with them before he launched out on his own. He toured extensively with Mick Moloney and Jimmy Keane, and also with Eileen Ivers and Seamus Egan in the Green Fields of America. His songwriting and performing skills have taken him to Carnegie Hall and won him numerous awards for his many recorded and live concert performances. "A national treasure" is how, Ireland's top music magazine, Hot Press, describes O'Connell, "... a man blessed with an enviable turn of phrase and a gift for melody bestowed on only the few."
For additional information and reservations, call 562-3990 or log onto www.uNi-Coffeehouse.org. Tickets are $15 at the door.
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