It’s our 11th festival, and we’re really excited that in 2022 we will have an amazing line up of ukulele stars to entertain and inspire you; with both new faces to the festival, and some old friends that have helped us make the festival what it is, joining us for what promises to be a memorable experience for all who attend.

WE ARE THRILLED TO HAVE THE FOLLOWING AMAZING LINE-UP

Christopher Davis-Shannon is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and educator based in Philadelphia, USA. After spending years traveling the world as a sideman for various acts, he has spent the last five years honing his skills on ukulele as well as sharing his knowledge with others. Davis-Shannon’s festival workshops are frequently standing room-only, bringing with him an energy and mastery of the repertoire, as well as enthusiasm, that can rarely be equalled.

Vintage Ukulele Swing and Good Time Music.

Normally you would have to cruise the clubs of New York and San Francisco for the  pleasure of hearing this vintage Americana sound. However, Minnie and the  Illywhackers have their feet rooted firmly in the Dublin music scene.

Vaudevillian influenced singer and ukulele player Angie McLaughlin draws on the talents of her exSick and Indigent Song Club band mates Shane McGrath (guitar, mandolin),  Christian Volkmann (double bass, harmonica) and Sheila Sullivan (fiddle) to perform her original material. Her songs sit comfortably in their set alongside forgotten classics from the first half of the 20th century.

Echoes of swing, Hawaiian, gospel, jazz and blues are evident in the tunes which are performed with inventive arrangements. McLaughlin is both playful and passionate in her performance and with excellent musicians to back her up The Illywhackers are a truly joyous live experience.

The Ukulele Uff Trio is comprised of Chris ‘Ukulele’ Uff on ukulele, Dave Searson on guitar and ‘Brother’ Bill Leach on Hawaiian guitar. They specialise in obscure and wonderful 1920s/30s jazz, Tin Pan Alley songs and traditional Hawaiian music, performed with a skill and authenticity that is rare today.

The trio started as all good trios do, as a duo. Uff and Dave first met while still at school in Liverpool, where a mutual interest in music led to the formation of various musical projects, mainly with Uff on bass and Dave on drums or guitar. When Uff discovered the ukulele there was no stopping him. He practised day and night for years developing his own original style, until he felt ready to unleash his talents upon the world. Dave in the meantime had honed his technique of ragtime and swing guitar. Uff and Dave appeared on the ukulele scene overnight, when footage from their debut performance in a variety show at Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall was uploaded to YouTube to much acclaim in 2012. Since then their high energy, skilled playing and relaxed stage presence has earned them a reputation as top entertainers around the World.

In 2014 Uff and Dave teamed up with lap steel virtuoso ‘Brother’ Bill Leach, who brought with him hair raising renditions of jazz age Hawaiian classics and beautiful traditional melodies brought over from his native Runcorn.

Fitting in perfectly with Uff and Dave’s nimble finger work, the group now sound better than ever! Towards the end of the year they released their first CD to much acclaim.

Following on from their acclaimed pop-up performances at the 2022 Forever Young Festival, RUGS (Rathfarnham Ukulele Group) are delighted to bring their blend of foot-stomping tunes to the 11th Ukulele Hooley by the Sea.

From humble beginnings in Sheilagh Fox’s kitchen, RUGs weekly ukulele session now has up to 80 ukers jamming together on a Monday night. The group has a wonderful community spirit, with monthly performances in Our Lady’s Hospice in Harold’s Cross, and the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire. In addition RUGS has been involved in supporting organisations such as the Samaritans, Special Olympics Ireland, Crumlin Children’s Hospital, LauraLynn, Unicef Ireland and HIV Ireland.

The off-shoot RUGs Performance Group has been slowly building a loyal fan base over the past few years, with performances at Bloom, the Cobh Ukulele Festival, Darkness into Light, Battle for the Bay and most recently the Forever Young Festival. Their setlist includes a diverse range of covers from Snow Patrol, American Authors and George Ezra to David Bowie, Marc Almond, and The Beatles – all performed with our own unique RUGs twist.

For many of the group, the ukulele odyssey began at the Hooley so it’s an absolute pleasure to return to the Main Stage.

Skerries Ukulele Strummers was the brainchild of Ray McCarthy who brought his experience of Ukulele Groups to Skerries and set up S.U.S.in 2013. The group has grown over the years to a current membership of over 50.  Many of our members travel from the neighbouring towns of Donabate, Rush, Lusk, Balbriggan, Balrothery & Bettystown. Members add variety to our performance by playing the banjolele, mouth organ, tambourine & bass.

Performing at fund raising gigs, concerts and charity events, SUS have a full calendar for the Summer 2022 with performances at Ukulele Hooley Festival, Skerries Community Centre celebrations, Rush Harbour Festival, Rush Scouts and The Bleeding Pig Festival in Donabate. Members also play in the local nursing homes bringing much enjoyment and happiness to residents.

Music is so good for the soul.

Andrew Robinson began playing ukulele in the 1950s. He appeared in the first Ukulele Hooley in 2009, and has played bass in The Ukeristic Congress and in Aisling Out Walking.

Mikey O Malley is a singer-songwriter from Ratoath, Co. Meath, Ireland. His music is a unique style of Irish-Hawaiian folk with original, personal, and poetic lyrics. His main instruments are the ukulele, guitar and piano and he self-accompanies with percussion. He is influenced by artists like Ed Sheeran, Dermot Kennedy, Passenger and Lewis Capaldi. He was a busker and played in small venues in Ireland before moving to America in 2017. He then played many bars, festivals, and college events in Washington before moving to Cleveland, Ohio where he has featured in several showcases and played many small venues. He has recently returned to Ireland after playing in Washington breweries. His most notable performance to date came at Wild Fest 2019 where he played as a support act for Hobo Johnson and the Lovemakers. There were over 2,000 people in attendance at this festival. Tom Stockdale (YouTube personality with 347k subscribers) had this to say about his music, “I love the delivery! I’m a big fan of telling a story in a song. You’ve got a new fan in me my friend!”