ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS (January 15, 2025) — Goitse, one of today’s leading bands in a new generation of traditional Irish ensembles, performs on Thursday, February 20, 2025, 7PM, at the Sound Conservatory as part of the Quad City Arts Visiting Artist Series. The concert concludes a weeklong residency, which includes educational engagements and accessible public performances at local K-12 schools and community sites, plus a free 45-minute informal performance with an artist talk on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, 11AM. at the Bettendorf Public Library.
Taken from the Gaelic word for ‘come here,’ Goitse (pronounced Go-wit-cha) brings together a lineup of some of the most high-performing and acclaimed Irish musicians for a combination of driving percussion, breathtaking melodies, and infectiously energetic dance-worthy tunes to kick off the St Patrick’s Day season.
"We're absolutely thrilled to be back in the US, sharing our style of energetic Irish music with audiences across the country,” band member Colm Phelan said. “This tour is a wonderful opportunity to connect with fans new and old, and we can’t wait to share the music and songs of Ireland on every stage we play."
Audiences will also recognize Goitse’s trademark sound from the second season of the hit show Bad Sisters, which features tracks The Cave of the Wild Horses and The Peacocks from the band’s 2022 album Rosc. The show’s creator, Sharon Horgan, and director, Dearbhla Walsh, tapped Goitse to be a part of the series, inviting the band to record on set with the cast for Episode 1, which débuted in November 2024 on Apple TV+.
A multi-award-winning quintet, Goitse was formed in 2007 at the Irish World Academy in Limerick, Ireland. Band members include Áine McGeeney, who sings in both English and Irish and has toured as the resident fiddle-player with Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance; Colm Phelan, the first-ever World Bodhrán Champion and founder of the International Bodhrán school "Búla Buzz"; guitar-player Conal O’Kane, a native of Philadelphia and one of the most sought-after accompanists in Irish music today; multi-instrumentalist and multiple All Ireland winner, Daniel Collins; and trailblazing multi-instrumentalist and recording artist, Alan Reid. To date, Goitse has released six critically-acclaimed recordings and maintains a year-round touring schedule with performances around the world.
Since 1974, the Visiting Artist Series has engaged Quad City residents of all ages in quality arts experiences with professional performing artists. These unique outreaches serve students of all ages in both public and private schools and colleges, in urban, suburban, and rural districts in both eastern Iowa and western Illinois.
Performance Details:
Goitse Performance with Artist Talk at the Bettendorf Public Library
Tuesday, February 18, 2025, 11AM
Bettendorf Public Library | 2950 Learning Campus Dr | Bettendorf, Iowa 52722
Tickets: FREE
Link: tockify.com/quadcityarts/detail/262/1739898000000
Goitse
Thursday, February 20, 2025, 7PM
(Residency February 18-21)
Sound Conservatory, Quad City Arts | 504 17th St | Moline, Illinois 61265
Tickets: $10-$60
Link: bit.ly/3ZzHYsp
Band Members:
Colm Phelan, bodhrán
Conal O’Kane, guitar
Áine Mc Geeney, fiddle and vocals
Alan Reid, banjo and bazouki
Daniel Collins, accordion and keyboard
About Goitse
The popular and multi-award-winning quintet Goitse was forged in the white-hot creative crucible of Limerick’s Irish World Academy. Named Live Ireland’s “Traditional Group of the Year”, Chicago Irish American News’ “Group of the Year,” as well as winning the prestigious “Freiburger International Leiter 2016” award in Germany, Goitse have become a leader of the new generation of traditional Irish ensembles.
Goitse has released six critically-acclaimed recordings and maintains a year-round touring schedule that includes performances throughout Ireland, UK, Germany, France, and the United States. Their distinctive sound lies in the quality of their own compositions interspersed with age-old traditional tunes which make each performance unique. Laying the foundations for the music are World and All Ireland Bodhrán champion Colm Phelan and Conal O’Kane, who is fast making a name for himself as one of the finest guitarists of his generation. The gripping rhythm section sets a powerful drive for the music while the sweet, charismatic voice of Áine McGeeney draws audiences into a song the way few performers can. Multi-instrumentalist Alan Reid features mainly on banjo and bouzouki, drawing from an extensive knowledge of archival collections of Irish which enriches the band’s repertoire. Daniel Collins is a multi-instrumentalist All Ireland Champion, and is known for his distinctively intricate bass work on accordion.
