The Irish Festival is a two day event, September 5 & 6, 2009, featuring an outstanding line-up of music, an Irish Pub, market, vendors, and cultural activities. Gates will open at noon.

Headlining at the 2009 festival will be the bands, Solas, The Prodigals, The Dublin City Ramblers, CEAN,,and Shannon Lambert-Ryan and Runa, accompanied by a host of other groups and entertainers.

Solas is an Irish-American musical group formed in 1994, playing Irish traditional music as well as original compositions in the style.

Their name comes from an Irish word meaning "light".

In Irish Music Magazine, Jim Kelly wrote “Here is a band of dazzling individual talents with the discipline to produce a sound that is never less than good and at times breathtaking.” His review was quoted in the following month’s issue by John O’Regan who went on to say “Laurels seem to be bestowed on Solas’ front door and it has to be said that though America has some fine homegrown Celtic bands, none has captured the imagination in the same way Solas has done.

The Prodigals are one of the most successful bands to emerge from the East-Coast Irish scene. The band members grew up largely in Ireland; their original songs blend a funky and anarchic energy that is pure New York with a genuine passion for the traditional music of Ireland. They have played throughout the United States, from Los Angeles and Las Vegas to Chicago, Boston and Maine, as well as abroad in Canada, Germany and Ireland, but they remain firmly rooted in Manhattan.

"the best Irish trad-rock band"
- Village Voice

"indelibly Irish"
- New York Times

"Big Apple cockiness fused with traditional tunes wends its way back home this week, as New York's answer to The Pogues lands on solid ground. Having detoured to Chicago (via Cavan) these boys' navigation skills leave nothing to chance. Gregory Grene's accordion calls many of the shots, fueled by the kind of percussive force that NASA would pay dearly for....Swivel the amp right up to eleven and submit to the manic rhythms."
- the Irish Times, Ireland

The Dublin City Ramblers have thrilled audiences worldwide with their unique blend of Ballads, Folk, Humor, Wit and foot-tapping music.

Their impressive career has spanned more than 35 years, with over 30 albums, top ten hits, several awards for best Ballad/Folk Group and, to top it all off, 8 Gold Albums. It is certainly no wonder that they are classed as Ireland’s Number One Group!

They have performed at most Major Festivals worldwide, including headlining The Milwaukee Irish Festival, The Cleveland Irish Festival, Hollywood Irish Fest, Florida, Miami Irish Fest, Ft Lauderdale, and most US, Canadian, & other festivals throughout the Globe!

They have performed at most major venues in Ireland and abroad, including Dublin’s National Stadium, National Concert Hall, Cork’s Opera House, England’s Royal Albert Hall, and New York’s Carnegie Hall.

In 2008, the Ramblers appeared at The Blackthorne Inn in a fund-raising event to preserve historic acticities in the Hunt Country.

Ceann formed as an Irish Rock Band in Pittsburgh in 2005 with the release of their first album of all-original material "Almost Irish." Before that, Ceann was an acoustic trio that played Irish pub music across the northeast. Ceann continue to mix fun Irish music with their popular originals. While some of Ceann's songs revolve around the culture of being Irish Americans many of Ceann's most popular songs have distinctively more contemporary themes. They're songs appeal far beyond the normal reach of Irish music and have given them access to unprecedented markets for an Irish band. As one of the only Irish bands to find success on commercial radio, Ceann's fan base has grown as quickly outside of Irish music circles as quickly as it's grown within them. Their cross market appeal has allowed them to be featured at Irish festivals and at non-Irish music festivals to equal success. Ceann have also become one of the most sought after college music acts in the country.

In two years Ceann have become one of the most successful independent bands in the country. Over the last two years Ceann have played more shows than any other national touring Irish band in the country. They've sold more CD's and have appeared on, or have had their music played on, more radio stations than 80% of all bands releasing CD's on music labels over the same two-year period. They've been singled out by music industry executives as one of the most successful business models for independent music artists.

Drawing on the diverse musical backgrounds of its band members, Shannon Lambert-Ryan & RUNA brings a contemporary and refreshing experience to traditional and more recently composed Celtic material. Through their repertoire of both highly energetic and graceful acoustic melodies, along with their fusion of music from Ireland, Scotland, Shetland Islands, Canada, and the United States, this vocal and instrumental ensemble give their traditional songs and tunes a fresh sound.

Coming from a variety of musical backgrounds including Celtic, folk, classical, and musical theatre, Shannon Lambert-Ryan, of Philadelphia, fronts the band with rich, vibrant vocals, and gentle piano playing. As a musician, she has spent the past two years as the lead female vocalist in the world music group, the Guy Mendilow Band. Additionally, she has performed as a vocalist with a number of artists, including John Flynn, Joe Jencks, Iain Campbell Smith, and Bob Beach.

Ticket prices are:

For more detailed information on The Irish Festival, please visit

For reservations contact us at 540-592-3848

The Blackthorne Inn
10087 John S. Mosby Highway
Upperville, Virginia 20184-1742