Suaimhneas is the Irish for peace, calm, tranquility; which is exactly the vibe we re-recreate at these intimate events in the Duncairn’s ‘Good Room’ complete with soft furnishings and mood lighting.
Ciaran Lavery is an Irish award winning, multi-nominated singer-songwriter and musician that has released four albums with over 150 million streams to date. He is currently signed to Nettwerk Music Group and has previously released music with All Points Records (formally Believe Records) and Kartel Music Group.
Lavery’s music has been nominated four times at the NI Music Prize, winning album of the year in 2016, as well as being nominated for the Hot Press Magazine ‘album of the year’ and ‘single of the year’. Previously, he has been named as the Hot Press magazine 'One to Watch’.
He has toured extensively worldwide, with performances at festivals such as Glastonbury, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Zermatt Unplugged, SXSW, M for Montreal, with a particular highlight of being handpicked to play Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion Festival in Texas. Lavery has been invited to play showcases at Disney, Lionsgate, Paste Magazine and Spotify Fans Only in both New York and Boston, as well as touring with the likes of Bear’s Den, William Fitzsimmons, The Low Anthem and opening for KD Lang, Neko Case and Laura Veirs for two sold out shows at the Danforth Music Hall.
Lavery is also an accomplished co-writer, working with artists such as Dan Croll, Rosie Carney, Duke Special, Luke Sital Singh, AVEC, Axel Flovent, Joshua Burnside, Joshua James, Charles, Lila Vargen, Niamh Regan and Roe. He co-founded and runs the only songwriting camp in the north of Ireland, ‘Soft Gut Song Camp’.
“super talented” - Clive Anderson
“the sound of a songwriter that is very comfortable in his own skin” - Zane Lowe
“remarkable” - The Independent
“a seriously good songwriter” - Huffington Post
BLÁNID is a rising Irish singer-songwriter whose introspective folk-inspired songs and powerful vocals have earned critical acclaim. Her first two singles received airplay on some of the UK and Ireland's most prestigious radio stations, including BBC Radio 1, Radio 6 and RTÉ Radio 1. She was also the featured vocalist on the soundtrack for Netflix's anime film, The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf.
BLÁNID is a sought-after live performer, having shared stages with luminaries such as Judy Collins, performing at prestigious events like Celtic Connections in Glasgow and TradFest in Dublin's St. Patrick's Cathedral in 2023. She has also used her talents to support important causes, performing at a fundraising concert for Ukrainian children alongside Bill Nighy and Chiwetel Ejiofor, and pianist GéNIA.
As 2023 unfolds, BLÁNID shows no signs of slowing down. She has recently appeared on The Late Late Show as part of a special TradFest segment, and performed her new single Bad Decisions, co-written with Ciaran Lavery, live on BBC Radio Ulster. With accolades from publications like Earmilk, who describe her as “one to watch”, BLÁNID's star is on the rise and she is poised to become one of Ireland's most exciting musical exports. She plans to release a string of new singles throughout the year before embarking on a UK tour supporting Judy Collins in the fall.