News
Kintra stole the show with an unbelievably talented, uplifting and moving performance. The shear energy, enthusiasm and passion generated by Kintra was electric in seducing a euphoric audience with the unique blends and sounds from the Irish and Ulster Scots traditions. This was a powerful expression of what young performers are about in modern Ireland - North and South
Aidan Cassidy, First Secretary, NI Bureau, Washington DC
Kintra in Glasgow
Posted April 11
Kintra are making their debut performance this coming May 1st in the Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow as part of the Donegal Live event. Kintra will be sharing the stage with some of Ireland's most loved entertainers including Conal Gallen and Donegal's very own Daniel O'Donnell. More information can be found at www.donegalliveglasgow.com
Christmas Wishes
Posted December 10
Kintra would like to wish all their fans and supporters a very Merry Christmas and a Peaceful and Prosperous New Year.
Thank you to everyone for their continued support in 2010. 2011 promises to be bigger and better as we continue to build on the success of the previous years. This is all thanks to our fans and audiences who always give us their loyal support.
House on the Hill on BBC NI
Posted November 10
Kintra will be featured in a new documentary on BBC Northern Ireland which starts tonight, 15 November 2010. The documentary 'House on the Hill' goes behind the scenes of political life from inside Stormont and shows what really happens through the revolving doors! The first of 4 episodes goes out tonight on BBC NI at 10.35 pm.
Kintra will be shown as part of the
Speaker's St.Patrick's Day celebrations during one of the 4 episodes. More info at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vz1yy
Kintra to return to Waterside Theatre
Posted November 10
Kintra are making their much anticipated return to the Waterside Theatre. Under the musical direction of renowned fiddle player Matt McGranaghan and co-founders James Kee the group focuses on the shared elements of the Scots-Irish/Irish cultures in a modern and contemporary way, while still maintaining the respect for the shared heritage.
The group's enthusiastic approach to music, song and dance makes it fresh, new and modern, and brings it bang up-to-date for anyone who loves culture with a twist. This band of twelve pushes the boundaries to make a completely new sound from tried and tested anthems as well as new compositions by Matt and succeeds admirably.
The concert will be followed by a short service of remembrance and all profits are in aid of the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.
More information can be found at www.watersidetheatre.com or call directly on +44 (0) 2871 31 4000, Mon to Fri from 9:30 am - 4:30 pm.
Sad Passing of Chuck Ward
Posted November 10
Kintra would like to express their condolences to the the
family & friends of the late
Chuck Ward, co-founder and current President of
Milwaukee Irish Fest. Our thoughts and wishes are also with everyone in the extended
Irish Fest family.
Chuck's death is a great loss, but his life has been a great gift. He has left us all with a legacy, and a celebration that will continue to honour people who have a love for all aspects of their Irish culture, just like Chuck. It was indeed a great honour to have met, worked and know Chuck in the past year.
From everyone in Kintra, may you rest in peace Chuck.
Kintra to Perform at Clondermott Old School
Posted September 10
Fresh back from their US debut at Milwaukee Irish Fest 2010 and their appearance on Fox News America, Kintra bring their unique show to Clondermot Old School in the UK City of Culture 2013 on the 30th September. Some members of the group will just be returning home from New York that day where they will have spent a week promoting Northern Ireland as part of Tourism Ireland's 'Experience Northern Ireland' which is being held in Grand Central Station on 42nd Street.
Under the musical direction of renowned fiddle player Matt McGranaghan, Kintra's masterful blend of Scottish and Irish music reflects the modern, vibrant fusion of the two main cultures on the island of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Special guests on the night are Indigo and the Compere for the evening will be Mr.Noel McBride.
Tickets are priced at £10 and the show starts at 7.30 pm.
More information can be found by contacting 028 71 345160.
Experience Northern Ireland at Grand Central Station, New York
Posted September 10
Kintra will be jetting off to be part of Tourism Ireland's Experience Northern Ireland in New York from 23-30 September. Join Tourism representatives, cultural organisations, and characters who will be bringing a flavour of Northern Ireland to New York for this week long event. This will feature a major interactive multi-platform built around the hull of Belfast's most famous ship and will be hosted in the Vanderbilt Hall at New York's Grand Central Terminal.
Kintra will bring their unique blend of Northern Irish and Irish culture to this magnificent location and will be joined by many of Northern Ireland's most famous names in Music, Arts, Cookery and many other cultural ambassadors for the region.
Kintra return from Milwaukee Irish Fest 2010
Posted September 10
Kintra have returned from their debut performance in the United States where they performed their unique show at Milwaukee Irish Fest 2010. We were thrilled that our unique blend of Irish and Scottish music appealed to so many of the festival goers and our audiences accumulated each day until the Sunday afternoon when we closed our performance to a crowd of at least 5,000.
Kintra also had the incredible opportunity of appearing on Fox 6 News with the unforgettable Gus Gnorski.
We would like to thank all the people who sent us emails and comments on Facebook. The response has been overwhelming for us and we look forward to returning to more Irish Festivals in the United States next year.
We would also like to thank Ed & Chuck Ward, Jane Anderson and Barry Stapleton from Irish Fest who gave us such an incredible opportunity. We would also like thank most sincerely the Stage Managers, Sound & Light Technicians, the Drivers who shuttled us to and from the Festival grounds, and every member of the 4,000 strong volunteers although we only had the pleasure of meeting some of you!
And again we would like to thank and acknowledge Strabane District Council for their generous support in achieving our dream of being present at Milwaukee.
Countdown to Milwaukee Irish Fest
Posted August 10
Kintra will be making their American debut at this years Irish Fest in Milwaukee. Milwaukee Irish Fest is the world’s largest celebration of Irish music and culture, showcasing more than 100 entertainment acts annually at the four day, 16-stage event at the 74 acre Henry W. Maier Festival Park on Lake Michigan. Irish Fest has been called, by the Smithsonian Institution’s National Folk Life Program, ‘the largest and best Irish cultural event in North America’ and attracts over 125,000 people through its gates over the weekend. Although Irish Fest is based around Irish music and culture, it recognises and promotes all Celtic based cultures and over the years has featured regions such as Nova Scotia, Scotland and Cape Breton.
Kintra will be playing each day of the Irish Fest and you can view their schedule at www.irishfest.com/festival/music/artist.php?id=185
Kintra would like to acknowledge the support of Strabane District Council in making this opportunity a reality. The excitement is overwhelming in the Kintra camp and we can't wait to get on stage at Irish Fest and bring our sound to a whole new audience! Keep up to date on our website and on Facebook at Kintra's Official page where we will be uploading pictures and updating everyone on what's happening.
An Grianan Theatre with the Alley Theatre presents the Border Crossings Summer School
Posted July 10
Border Crossings Summer School is a new initiative funded by Peace III and administered by An Grianan Theatre Letterkenny in partnership with The Alley Theatre Strabane. This two week summer school running from 24th July to 7th August 2010 boasts Concerts, Masterclasses and Workshops reflecting the Scottish and Irish traditions of music, dance and storytelling. Students will be tutored by Georgina Kee and Matt McGranaghan and this will culminate in the students delivering two performances - one in An Grianan, and one in The Alley - supporting Kintra's main performance.
Come and see for yourself how exhilarating and memorable this fusion of cultures is at one of Kintra’s four gala concerts on Sat 24 July and Sun 1 and Fri 6 August at An Grianan, Letterkenny and Sat 7 August at the Alley Theatre, Strabane. This is an exciting new venture encouraging a coming together of communities and a celebration of our future.
St.Patrick's Celebrations at Parliament Buildings
Posted March 10
Kintra have just returned from Parliament Buildings, Stormont for the annual St.Patrick's Day Celebrations where they performed for their second successive year. The event was hosted by the Speaker of the NI Assembly, Mr.William Hay MLA and this year the theme was 'Recognising the Contribution of Women to the Life of Northern Ireland.' Over 260 invited guests gathered in the Great Hall including the Romanian Ambassador Dr.Ion Jinga, Mrs.Arelene Foster MLA, Dame Mary Peters, and the Rev Dr Ian Paisley, MP, MEP and his wife Baroness Paisley.
Kintra would like to express their thanks to the Speaker, to Frances and Dermot and to all the staff at Parliament Buildings for their warm hospitality and generous help during their visit.
Seasons Greetings from Kintra
Posted December 09
Kintra would like to take this opportunity to wish all our fans a Very Merry Christmas and a Peaceful & Prosperous New Year. We would also like to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported us in 2009 and especially during our World Tour of the Northwest from October! We look forward to 2010 which is looking to be a very exciting year for Kintra.
Kintra Perform at Áras an Uachtarain
Posted July 09
On 12th of July Kintra had the amazing opportunity of performing for President McAleese & Dr.McAleese at Áras an Uachtarain for the annual 12th of July Celebrations alongside the band of An Garda Siochana and the Pipes & Drums of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Kintra were chosen to perform as their show represents the coming together of the communities. Master of Ceremonies for the evening was RTE's Bryan Dobson. Kintra's 15 minute performance received a standing ovation from the 400 members of the audience which included Sir Hugh Orde, Chief Constable of the PSNI, Fachtna Murphy, Commissioner of An Garda Siochana and Chief of Staff of the Irish Defence Forces Lt General Dermot Earley.
Kintra would like to thank everyone at Áras an Uachtarain for their hospitality during our stay.
Kintra Announce New Dates for Autumn 2009
Posted July 09
Due to the overwhelming support we have been receiving, Kintra are pleased to announce three upcoming shows in Derry, Donegal and Tyrone for the Autumn. We will be performing in the Waterside Theatre, Derry on the 1st of October, An Grianan Theatre, Letterkenny on the 29th of October and The Strule Arts Centre on the 26th of November. We are delighted that our good friend Tom Sweeney will be with us each night to deliver his unique blend of story-telling and ballad singing. Information for the venues can be found on our Performances page.
St.Patrick's Day Celebrations
Posted March 09
What amazing St.Patrick's Day celebrations we had! We performed in Government Buildings on the 14th March for the Northern Ireland Assembly at their annual St.Patrick's Day Celebration. The guests must have been on our website reading about our show in the Alley theatre because they responded to Kintra with two standing ovations! It was such an honour for the team to be invited by the Speaker of the House, William Hay MLA, to headline the event.
On St.Patrick's day, Kintra headlined the celebrations in Omagh after the succesful parade in the town. It was a real privilege to be invited and to perform for the few thousand people who waited to hear us. Thanks to everyone who took time to say hello afterwards and especially to those people who send us emails.
We love to hear from everyone and Kintra sincerely appreciate the support people are giving us.
Kintra at the Alley and Harvey's Point
Posted February 09
Kintra would like to thank everyone who attended our sell-out show recently in the Alley Theatre. We had a magical evening and were thrilled with the two standing ovations we received. Kintra also had a wonderful evening at the Burn's Supper in Harvey's Point in January. It was a magnificent celebration of the 250th anniversary of Burns' life and we all enjoyed the company and music of the Gary Blair Ceili Band from Scotland. Thank you to everyone who has contacted us and emailed us with their regards and thanks.
Other News
Kintra on Facebook & MySpace
Kintra can now be found on Facebook and we would love to connect and hear from our fans there. We also have a MySpace page up and running and look forward to connecting with as many people as possible.