Description

Born, bred and based in County Down the Sands Family have been singing and playing music for as long as they can remember. Maybe a bit longer!
They grew up on a small farm in the townland of Ryan near the village of Mayobridge, a few miles from the town of Newry. Their parents, Mick and Bridie, both came from families of singers, musicians and storytellers and encouraged a love of Irish culture and tradition in their seven children.
Their house on the Ryan Road was a "Ceili House" - a focal point - and neighbours from nearby farms as well as musical wanderers from much further afield often gathered around their fireside for long winter evenings of song, music, "craic" and merriment.
From small beginnings in local halls and pubs their musical career took a sudden upturn when they won a Folk Group contest in Dublin's "Old Shieling Hotel" in Raheny. As a result, they were invited to play for three weeks in New York in early 1971.
Further trips to USA and Canada followed, including a St Patrick's Day concert appearance in Carnegie Hall - and regular "solo missions". But latterly they have tended to concentrate their musical attentions as a band on this side of the Atlantic - in Europe generally and Germany particularly, in addition to Ireland and UK.
Their repertoire consists mainly of their own compositions, together with some of their favourites from the bottomless well of the Irish song and music tradition. They often perform and record as solo artists but thirty five years on the road have not dulled their appetite for getting together for tours, festivals and occasional trips to the recording studio - in fact, quite the reverse!
This will be a spectacular concert....and definitely one not to miss!

Description

1 St. Malachy's Way,

Bangor,

Down,

Northern Ireland,

BT20 4JF.