Ciaran Carr Christmas Busk: 11th Annual Busk Comes to Clondalkin Village
THE uniqueness of the busk is in its simplicity; it’s a completely cost-effective idea; it just requires people showing up and giving up their time,” explains Clondalkin-born singer-songwriter and RTE folk award nominee Colm Gavin when asked about the 11th annual Ciaran Carr Christmas Busk in Clondalkin Village.
This year’s line-up is “far and away the most illustrious we’ve ever had,” featuring Shosby, Leslie Dowdall (In Tua Nua), RTÉ 2FM rising stars Brad Heidi & Kylabelle, Sadbh Keane, Colm, and many more.
The busk initially began in 2014 and has raised thousands for the Ciarán Carr Foundation since its inception.
Ciarán was a popular local figure who played for Round Tower GAA club and died of sudden adult death syndrome in 2012.
In the wake of his passing, his parents, Gemma and Philip, established the Ciarán Carr Foundation to raise money to put defibrillators in local amenities, and they regularly gave first aid courses.
Gavin recently performed two sold-out benefit concerts in New York City at the prestigious Joanne’s on West 68th Street, a venue run by Lady Gaga’s father, Joe Germanota.
Gavin curated and performed at both concerts, which were in aid of the Lupus Research Alliance, the illness that Lady Gaga’s aunt Joanne passed away from in December 1974, and for whom the venue is named.
Colm Gavin’s brand new album ‘Diggin’ the Idleflower’, his fourth official release with Beo Records, was launched in Whelan’s in May this year.
‘Song for Sam’, one of the tracks from the new record, has spent the better part of a month on the RTE Radio 1 Recommends list.
Colm is fresh off the heels of a UK/US/IRL tour, becoming one of the most celebrated artists on the Irish music circuit today.
This tour saw him return home to bring his own unique blend of witty onstage banter and sensitive compositions to venues in Galway, Clare, Connemara, Armagh, Belfast, and Dublin.
He also recently performed as part of an evening of contemporary Irish music that was being presented by Aras Chronain, along with Madelyn Monaghan and Caitriona Sherlock.
This year’s busk is set to be the “biggest yet,” according to Colm, so don’t miss out when it is performed outside the Clondalkin Credit Union on December 21 at 7:30 pm; get your tickets now!
This week, we sat down with Colm to discuss the event:
How did this gig come about for you? Have you performed for the foundation before? If so, what have your previous experiences been like?
For many years now, I’ve performed at the Christmas Eve busk on Grafton Street in aid of the Simon Community.
I remember seeing an interview with Glen Hansard; he was sitting in Tompkin Square Park and said that his hope for the busk was that perhaps in every town in Ireland, or every major city, the local musicians would get together at Christmas time, sing a few songs in the centre of town, and give the money over to a local charity, and I loved the directness of that idea.
So in 2013, I approached local luminary Conor McGrath, whom I’ve always looked up to, and put the idea to him.
The following Christmas of 2014, we had the first ever Ciarán Carr Christmas Busk!
Have there been any challenges or highlights of working on it so far? How has it differed from other gigs you have done?
The uniqueness of the busk is in its simplicity; it’s a completely cost-effective idea; it just requires people showing up and giving up their time.
The busk usually lasts an hour, we sing a few songs, and people give what they can.
A very straightforward exchange.
What can we expect from the busk? Will it be material from the artists, such as yourself, holiday favourites, or a mix of both?
This is, far and away, the biggest line-up we’ve ever had.
Leslie Dowdall, whom your readers will know from the classic Irish 80s group In Tua Nua, will be performing at this year’s busk.
Shobsy will be making an appearance, 2FM rising stars Brad Heidi and Kylabelle are set to be with us, George Murphy and Daoirí Farrell; it’s an absolutely cracking line-up.
Artists sing whatever they like, Tara Abbey might sing a seasonal carol, Zoe Clarke might sing an original song, it all depends, the spontaneity adds to the fun of it all, and we might have surprise appearance or two, you never know.
I’d say you’re delighted to be back home for Christmas! I understand you’ve had a very busy year in the US as well; tell us more!
It’s been a whirlwind of a year; I can’t quite believe that as we’re speaking, it’s presently mid-November; it felt like June 10 minutes ago.
I’ve had shows in the United States and UK, and I’ve just finished a string of gigs around Ireland. “Song for Sam” from my most recent album “Diggin’ the Idleflower” has been selected for the RTÉ Folk Awards 2025, so that’s a huge honour.
I’ll be doing a homecoming show on December 20th in Áras Chrónáin, tickets for which are on sale now but are almost 50% sold out
What are your plans for the New Year? Are there any more EPs or singles in the pipeline?
Separate from my own solo endeavours, I write for a lot of other artists on the country music circuit, the pop scene, and even musical theatre.
A number of different artists will be releasing songs of mine in the coming months.
I’ve also been co-writing with the brilliant Kiera Dignam.
We’ve amassed quite a bouquet of songs that I’m really proud of, which I think will ultimately amount to tracks for her next album.
I have shows booked for Scotland and the UK in 2025, so it’s set to be another busy year.
Who would you like to thank for helping you with this opportunity?
I’d like to personally thank every single person who makes the busk happen, from the audio engineers, stewards, volunteers, and crew to the performers who come from every corner of Ireland to make it happen.
Gemma & Philip Carr do phenomenal work all year round; this is just our little gesture back to them.
