Nation's Oldest City

St. Augustine, FL

The St Augustine Celtic Music & Heritage Festival 2014

StAugustine-Celtic-Music-Heritage-FestivalThe St Augustine Celtic Music & Heritage Festival 2014

March 7, 8 & 9, 2014 at Francis Field on Castillo Drive.!

The sounds of the ancient Celtic peoples of Scotland and Ireland are as alive today as ever at the St. Augustine Celtic Music Festival, 7, 8 & 9, 2014 at Francis Field on Castillo Drive.

Find the Celt in you as you take in the sights, sounds and tastes of centuries of European history. Celtic clans from around the world show their ancestral pride, Highland games athletes demonstrate their mind-boggling strength, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade marches through the streets of the Oldest City’s Historic District, and vendors offer up Celtic cuisine and hand-made crafts.

But the hands-down favorite of the St. Augustine Celtic festival is the music. Scottish and Irish bands playing both traditional tunes and modernized renditions of the ancient Celtic music appear live on stage throughout the two-day festival – arguably the best collaboration of Celtic artists assembled in the United States. We’re talking Scots-born Albannach and Ireland’s Dublin City Ramblers just to name a few, attracting fans from throughout Florida and Georgia, Savannah to St. Augustine, Orlando and The Villages. Did you know that Celtic music had a profound impact on American bluegrass and country? Aye, so if you’re thinking about missing this one, yer talking oot yer fanny flaps.

Gate Times

11AM – 10:30PM Saturday, March 8

11AM – 6:30PM Sunday, March 9

Children 12 and under admitted FREE!
Retired and active duty military with current ID admitted FREE!

Celtic Music Bands

Albannach

Albannach is Scots-Gaelic for “Scottish” or “Scotsman”. That’s exactly what we are. Albannach are all born and bred in Scotland and our purpose in life is to share our intriguing culture, history and heritage with you by means of our music.

Albannach is not just another Scottish ‘Pipes & Drums’ band, indeed we bring a new and exciting form of music to your living room. A championship winning piper, an extremely talented main drummer, bass drummers and bodhran musician bring you a brand new approach to percussion and Celtic music. Our style of music is exciting, energetic and enchanting and we promise to leave you begging for more.

The Dublin City Ramblers

“Ireland’s No.1 Ballad & Folk Group Of The Year”
by The Irish Country Music Association

The Dublin City Ramblers have thrilled audiences worldwide with their unique blend of Ballads, Folk, Humour, 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 USA, Canadian & other festivals throughout the Globe!

Their music has also taken them all over Europe to rapturous receptions. They have performed at every major venue in Ireland and abroad, including Dublin’s National Stadium, National Concert Hall, Cork’s Opera House, England’s Royal Albert Hall, New York’s Carnegie Hall and many more.

They have been honoured on several occasions by being given the Keys to the cities of Ft Lauderdale, Florida, Hollywood, Florida and Moorehead, Kentucky.

Rathkeltair

Rathkeltair blends compelling and catchy original songs with tight, driving, straight-ahead rock-n-roll, while never forgetting its Celtic roots.

Based in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, Rathkeltair has been on the road full-time since 2003. Highly regarded for its extraordinary energy, showmanship and professionalism, Rathkeltair enjoys a loyal and rapidly expanding community of friends and fans.

Rathkeltair features three veteran road-warriors from England, Northern Ireland and America. Noted singer-songwriter/guitarist Trevor Tanner, former front man for The Bolshoi, a mainstay of the UK club scene at the height of the MTV era and the subject of a rabid international underground cult following, writes most of the band’s original material. Drummer Nick Watson (formerly of the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band) and bagpiper/multi-instrumentalist Neil Anderson are two of the original members of Clan Na Gael (7 Nations), the NYC-based band that kicked off the “kilt rock” phenomenon in the US in the mid-90’s and inspired many of the groups working in that genre today.

Black 47

Black 47 is much more than a musical group . They are a voice for Irish America. Leader Larry Kirwan is a cross generational icon who has been involved in the Irish Civil Rights Movement, a playwright, novelist, radio broadcaster and someone who is frequently sought out by the media to comment on Irish affairs. Thus when Black 47 comes to town the event can be treated as a highlight in the year’s Irish American calendar.

Led by Irish author, playwright, and songwriter Larry Kirwan, Black 47 espouses an unblinkingly political and thoroughly Irish form of rock ‘n’ roll, with raucous, heartfelt, and intelligent performances of songs covering topics from the Northern Ireland conflict to civil rights and urban unrest in contemporary New York. Black 47 earned their chops playing the pub scene in Manhattan and self-producing their first indie record, Black 47, before converting The Cars’ Ric Ocasek to the cause and gaining mainstream attention with their second album, Fire Of Freedom. After years of relentless touring the band’s signature eclectic sound, socially conscious lyrics and exciting concerts paved the way for other Irish influenced bands such as Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys. The band will commemorate their 25 anniversary during the upcoming 2014 season which will also be their final year of touring. The band will retire at the end 2014 so every show will be special!

The Wobbly Toms

St. Augustine band The Wobbly Toms are a bunch of good time boys who like to bring the foot stomping, jig inducing, sing along inspiring, order me another round type of revelry to every party they play! They are steeped in the mountain music of greater Appalachia, imbibed in the Irish Drinking songs of yore, pickled in the fantastic gypsy tradition and toasted just enough to bring a modern edge to it all. The sheer volume of this band, both in sound and stature, is as astounding to behold as the melodic reverie that spills forth each time this gang gathers to bang and holler!

Scuttered the Bruce

Good songs should be sung loud, sung often, and sung by everyone currently in possession of a larynx. So when you’re at a Scuttered the Bruce show, drink up, clear your throat, and raise your bloody voice.

Scuttered the Bruce plays good old-fashioned, hell-raising pub songs in the mode of the greatest pub singers in recent memory, The Dubliners and The Clancy Brothers, but with all the piss and vinegar of The Pogues. With unrelenting energy and reckless good cheer, Scuttered the Bruce is deadly serious about having a good time. And if their enthusiasm doesn’t infect you like some contagious form of drunkenness and get you snorting, stomping, and singing along, then you ought to check with your doctor to be sure you’re not dead.

Strumstick

This acoustic trio from Central Florida put their spin on old folk and traditional pub songs, accompanied by harmonicas, tin whistles, and ye ole squeezebox!! You can find me in the Pub! Members include Bo Ramsey on vocals and acoustic guitar and Wyatt Ramsey on percussion, tin whistle, harmonica, and the concertina. Damon Gramaldi joined the group a few years ago, and adds his guitar expertise with solid bass lines and rythem guitar to fill the sound out nicely.
The brothers have been playing all kinds of music going on 20 years now, and show no signs of stopping anytime soon. You Can Find Us In The Pub!

Jig to a Milestone

Jig to a Milestone is north Florida’s newest Celtic band. Their unconventional instrumentation and eclectic song list makes for a unique and rich listening experience you have to hear. They cover the gamut of Celtic music with ballads, traditionals, pub classics, instrumentals, modern Celtic, sea shanties, and the occasional bawdy tune. And they even throw in a few surprises with some Americana and familiar cover songs!

From Halifax to Honolulu, Cape Breton to Cape Hope, and Dublin to Dubai Celtic music can be found all over the world. But, outside of Britain, it is most popular here in America with over 40 million people claiming Celtic heritage. These songs and traditions of Ireland and Scotland are an integral part of American culture and history and they are here to share them with you.

 

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