Entertainment

Sharon Shannon to top the bill at Páirc 2025

INDEPENDENT Birmingham Irish festival Páirc Summers Series will be celebrating Irish music and culture along with Midlands heritage this summer.

The event runs from August 23 to 24 at the King’s Heath Irish Centre grounds on 205 Wheelers Lane, King's Heath, Birmingham.

The two-day outdoor festival will see bands from across Ireland and Britain perform.

Headliners include The Sharon Shannon Big Band, The Saw Doctors and Nathan Carter, supported by some of the top names in traditional and Irish folk music.

Sharon Shannon will perform at the Páirc Summer Series

Sharon Shannon: the accordion virtuoso who took Irish music worldwide

SHARON SHANNON, from the village of Ruan, County Clare, is one of Ireland’s most innovative musicians.

Best known for her dazzling mastery of the button accordion and melodeon, Shannon has carved a singular path through the music world, blending the traditional with unexpected musical byways, and bringing Irish music to global audiences in fresh, dynamic ways.

Shannon was steeped in music from a young age. Growing up in a musical family, she took up the accordion at just eight years old. By the age of 14, she was already touring the United States as a member of the group Disirt Tola.

She honed her skills with tuition from respected musicians such as Karen Tweed on accordion and Frank Custy on fiddle, and as a teenager she co-founded the band Arcady, marking her first steps into the professional music scene.

By the end of the 1980s she was missing with a huge range of musicians including Adam Clayton of U2 and Mike Scott of The Waterboys.

That connection led to an 18-month stint with The Waterboys, during which she toured internationally and contributed significantly to their acclaimed Room to Roam album.

It was during this period that Shannon’s distinctive style began to flourish.

Her departure from The Waterboys marked the beginning of her solo career.

In 1991, she released her self-titled debut album, Sharon Shannon, which — and it’s a well-documented claim —remains the best-selling traditional Irish music album ever in Ireland.

Shannon’s reputation soared further the following year with her contribution to A Woman’s Heart, the landmark 1992 compilation that brought together six of Ireland’s leading female artists.

Selling over 750,000 copies, it became the best-selling album in Irish chart history at the time and remains a defining moment in the Irish cultural landscape.

Sharon’s Shannon mastery of the button accordion — not the easiest instrument to play — has made put her among the greats of Irish music. But it is probably her ability to move effortlessly between genres that has set her apart.

She has never confined herself to the strict borders of traditional Irish music.

Reggae, Cajun, Portuguese, French-Canadian, Americana, and country have all found their way into her work. Her 1994 album Out the Gap, produced by the legendary reggae artist Dennis Bovell, was a bold example of a fusion of styles.

Of course, trying to incorporate too many styles of music into one act can sometimes dilute the singularity of a traditional. “Doing a bit of everything” can sometimes be the death knell for an artist. Not so with Sharon Shannon.

Her collaborations read like a who’s who of international music. She has worked with Bono, Sinéad O’Connor, Jackson Browne, Steve Earle, Willie Nelson, Shane MacGowan, and many others.

A standout moment came in 2000 with the release of The Diamond Mountain Sessions, widely regarded as one of her finest records. It featured the original version of The Galway Girl, co-written and performed with American singer-songwriter Steve Earle.

Though already popular, the song exploded onto the charts again in 2008 when a live version recorded with Irish singer Mundy became an instant number one hit and an enduring anthem across Ireland.

In recognition of her contribution to Irish music, Shannon received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2009 Meteor Ireland Music Awards.

Her performances have reached an audience far beyond the typical folk circles, including playing for President Bill Clinton at the White House and for Irish presidents Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese.

Sharon Shannon formed the Big Band to expand her live shows beyond smaller ensembles, blending traditional Irish music with jazz, reggae, blues, country, and classical influences.

The flexible lineup typically includes fiddle, guitars, brass, percussion, keyboards, and backing vocals, with frequent guest appearances from Irish stars like Damien Dempsey, Mundy, Mary Coughlan, and Imelda May.

The Big Band is known for its high-energy, festival-friendly performances that turn beloved tunes into rich, layered arrangements.

Audiences across Ireland and Europe have embraced the project’s celebratory spirit and innovative take on Shannon’s roots.

Saturday acts:

The Saw Doctors

The Undertones

Fin Furey

Pogue Traders

Father Teds

Sunday acts:

Sharon Shannon Big Band

Nathan Carter

The High Kings