Land of the Midnight Sun Irish Music Cruise

About this Cruise

SHANE MAKEM
Shane Makem is a third generation Irish folk singer having spent two decades touring the U.S., Canada and Ireland with the band the Makem Brothers in several different incarnations. He has played before millions of people from Ottawa to Texas, California to the Caribbean & Hawaii and over to Ireland, highlighting national PBS specials and popular Irish talk shows along the way.

Winifred Horan
An American fiddler of Irish descent. After classical training, she became an original member of the Irish traditional musicgroup Solas.

Horan was born in New York City, New York to Irish parents and studied piano (taught by her father, a carpenter and musician) and Irish fiddle playing at a young age. She attended and graduated from the New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts, where she studied classical violin, and the Aspen Music Festival and School in Aspen, Colorado. She played with multiple orchestras, including the Boston Pops Orchestra, and string quartets. She co-founded Solas in 1994, and is on fiddle and backing vocals.On her participation in Solas and, in particular, touring with the group, Horan expressed in a 2008 interview: “Traveling the world with Solas has been one of the best things about being in the band.”

FLAT OUT BALLAD BAND
FlatOut came together in 2010 when Mike Stewart, James Sheridan & Martin O’Connor came together in Taaffes famous music venue in the heart of Galway City. At times over the years if individual members were away on tour or holidays, Fergal and Maria would play in their place and it was always seemless. Martin moved to Scotland in 2013 and Fergal became a full time member. Maria continued to be heavily associated with FlatOut while maintaining her own gig in Taaffes & other venues, playing in different lineups that included Mike, James & Fergal. Sadly, James passed away suddenly. A big blow to Mike, Fergal, Maria, Martin and all the other musicians who knew James. But as James would have said “let’s keep this thing going”. Maria became a full time member and the FlatOut show keeps rolling.

MIKE STEWART
Mike Stewart has been playing Guitar & entertaining audiences in Galway, the rest of Ireland & in Germany, Belgium, Spain, France & the USA for more than 30 years. He has recorded two solo albums and has played with many great names in the music scene over a long career. He has an extensive & varied repertoire covering all the well known ballads ( old and new) as well as some innovative interpretations of classic Irish songs. He is an accomplished accompanist of traditional Irish tunes. He has a strong rhythmic style of backing tunes.

FERGAL CONNAIRE
Fergal Connaire has played for over 30 years on the music scene in Ireland. A stalwart of the Galway music scene, he has played with De Derga and for the last 10 years with FlatOut. He plays Bouzouki & Tenor guitar. He has a vast repertoire of classic ballads & tunes.

MARIA FAHY
Maria Fahy is a champion Fiddle player with a wide range of tunes from classic O’Carolan pieces to polkas, jigs & foot stomping reels. She is also an in demand accompanist for singers, both live and in the recording studio, as she has the perfect touch when backing songs. She has a 30 year career to her name and is a stalwart of the bustling Galway live music scene. She also tours Germany each year with FlatOut and has played with some greats of the music scene including Dolores & Sean Keane.

KENNETH FAHY
Kenneth Fahy Kenny hails from Corofin, Co. Galway and he plays bodhrán, bones and sings. He has performed with a wide variety of musicians in America, France, Poland and Germany and in various venues in Ireland including a residency in Taaffe’s Bar in Galway for the last 17 years. Most recently, he has performed at Irish Christmas concerts in Berlin in December 2023 and the Concerts will be held in Munich in December 2024 where he will be collaborating with musicians from France and Germany along with his wife, Maria on fiddle.

VAL BRODERICK
Val has been playing the uileann pipes since he was a teenager having spent his formative years as a musician perfecting his skills as a tin whistle player. An immensely experienced musician with a vast repertoire of music arising from his many years as an anchor man in countless sessions . He spent many years as a member of the renowned Galway band Tamlin playing to audiences in Ireland and across the U.K. and Europe.