Áras Chrónáin to host annual Seó Beo Festival
“In 2022 I was asked to perform at an anniversary concert for Harry Chapin at City Winery, Boston,” explains Clondalkin-born singer-songwriter Colm Gavin.
Áras Chrónáin is hosting its annual Seó Beo Festival from June 19 to 21, and Colm will be closing out the festival this year with a very special concert featuring himself, Kiera Dignam, Kenan Flannery and John Lynch
The concert is in aid of Clondalkin Food Bank, coming about from when Harry Chapin established a charity in the mid-70s called WhyHunger, and it still operates to this day, aiding those dealing with food insecurity on a global level.
Colm was made an Artist Ambassador (Artist against Hunger and Poverty) after that concert in Boston; it was a “complete honour” to be counted among the charities’ global ambassadors.
The charity’s maxim is “when in doubt, do something.” WhyHunger encourages its artist ambassadors to “do their bit” in their own communities to bring awareness to issues of poverty and food insecurity.
Clondalkin’s Food Bank is a “fabulous” service provided by some “very noble” individuals who spare their time and efforts to facilitate a food bank wherein those in need can access food and a number of different resources.
Colm tries every year to put on a concert or a busk to raise money for the Clondalkin Food Bank, as “they’re so deserving of every ounce of support they get, and they’re in dire need of it”.
Tickets for this concert are free, but attendees can give an optional donation at the concert.
The weekend-long festival will feature performances from Rob Strong and his band, Donal Kirk, Eire agus Chulainn, Lisa Murray, Kate Dineen and many more.
The festival first started during the ‘Revival of Live’ in late 2021 and has become a summertime fixture in Clondalkin village since then.
Colm is currently in the middle of a tour of the UK and Ireland with Kenan Flannery, remarking “we have covered some serious ground in a short space of time.”
They have had shows all across the UK: in Sheffield, Newcastle, Bradford, Bournemouth, Devon, North Wales, and Leeds.
One particular memory that stands out so far for Colm and Kenan was selling out their show in Karma Sanctum in central London and popping a bottle of bubbly on the building’s rooftop.
“Those moments don’t come around often, but when they do, they deserve to be marked.”
This tour will stretch out to September; beyond that point, Colm will be one of the guest mentors at this year’s Drogheda Songwriting Festival (September 26 – 27).
He writes for and with a number of different artists (Orla Monelle, Kiera Dignam, Leah Bariville, and Rachel Goode); they all have new material coming out that they have worked on together.
Over 100 tickets were booked within the first few hours of the concert being announced.
Colm would like to thank the generosity and decency of the Clondalkin people, the “kind-hearted collective who never fail to lend their ceaseless support when it’s most needed”.
Colm will be performing with Kenan, John Lynch, and Kiera Dignam to close out the Seo Beo festival at Aras Chronain at 6pm on June 21; tickets are available at araschronain.
