FOLK singer and guitarist Dan McCabe is undoubtedly the rising star of Irish music and his online videos have been watched by millions.
His popularity has been gaining attention throughout the island with an invitation to sing for President D Higgins and two appearances on The Late Late Show.
With a gravel-voice that rekindles memories of the great like Luke Kelly and Ronnie Drew, Dan’s renditions of Irish classics like Raglan Road and Only Our Rivers Rivers Run Free have been pulling in huge crowds either side of the border.
The singer was invited to sing The Parting Glass for President Higgins at Aran an Uachtarian on New Year’s Eve which brought Dan mainstream attention after a superb performance of the classic ballad.
The 24-year-old caught the attention of RTE producers and made special appearances on the St Patrick’s Day Late Late Show Special and followed that up
with another appearance at the FAI Centenary Late Late Show Special just weeks later.
Following sold out shows at Dublin’s 3Olympia, the Ulster Hall in Belfast and around the country, it has been quite a coup for Loughinisland GAC that the singer is set to come for one night only at the end of this month.
While Dan is from Naas, Co Kildare, his father Tony – also a gigging folk musician – is from Ballynahinch and this will be a kind of homecoming gig for the star.
The over 18s event is part of Loughinisland GAC’s fundraising drive to redevelop its grounds and bring state-of-the-art facilities to Macartan Park.
Admission to the show on Friday, July 29, is by ticket only and will be Dan’s only summer gig in Co Down this summer. Doors open at 7pm and the gig is due to begin at 8pm. Tickets are £25 plus usual Ticketmaster booking fees and can be purchased on ticketmaster.co.uk