Padraig Jack - 'These Shores' Album Launch Galway in The Crane Bar

RTE Folk Music Awards nominee Padraig Jack delivers a totally engaging performance which comprises a series of moments supported by his disarming charm, whit, perspectives on society, Irish history and of course top quality songs. Steadily proving himself to be one of Irelands’ finest contemporary songwriters in the two languages, Padraig is contributing his part to the current resurgence of the Irish language. Indeed he follows in the footsteps of his dad Barry Ronan who was years ahead of his time in releasing an all-Irish language Pop/Rock album in 1983 on the Gael Linn label which was produced by Nicky Ryan (Enya) at Windmill Lane studios. 

A native of the the Aran islands in the Irish speaking Gaeltacht, a place that has produced the writers Liam O’Flaithearta, Máirtín Ó’Direáin and Breandán Ó’hEithir, Padraig will release his sophomore studio album ‘These Shores’ in Autumn 2024. Having demonstrated his songwriting bona fides with his critically acclaimed debut ‘Making Sand’, which was named ‘RTE Album of the Week’ and garnered an RTE Folk Award nomination for ‘Best Original Song’ (Making Sand), Padraig is again teaming up with renowned producer John Reynolds (Sinead O’Connor, Damien Dempsey) and the album features some of the finest musicians in Irish music such as former Waterboys Anthony Thistlethwaite (now with the Saw Doctors) and Steve Wickham as well as Aldoc, Sean McKeown and Fergal Scahill.  

Jack’s songwriting heroes include James Taylor, Van Morrison, Richard Thompson, Enya, and Jimmy McCarthy and he seeks to develop his own songwriting style and with plaudits from industry legends like Mike Scott, Sharon Shannon and Miles Hunt, and laudatory reviews from the likes of Hot Press, Padraig Jack has already made his mark on the Irish music scene.

2024 has seen Padraig play headline shows at Dublin TradFest in the Pepper Canister Church along with Cuas as well as shows at Kilkenny TradFest, Dublin’s Cobblestone, Galway’s Roisin Dubh and a concert in An Spidéal in Stiúdeo Cuan as part of their Summer Concert Series. Padraig was very proud to play a series of shows on neighbouring islands Inis Oírr and Inis Meáin in summer 2024 and he made his debut at the Big Top for the Galway International Arts Festival as special guest to the Saw Doctors before performing two songs live on TG4 for the launch of Fleadh na hEireann in August. ‘These Shores’ is out on October 11th with shows around Ireland including Dublin’s Unitarian church on October 25th. 

"Magic, there's a deeply romantic core to Making Sand but Padraig Jack is too talented to ever veer into saccharine territory, authenticity is his hallmark" - The Alternate Root Magazine (USA)

"We must get him in for a session after hearing this"-  Janice Long (BBC Wales)

“This album will be a lifelong favourite” - Miles Hunt (The Wonder Stuff)

"A recognizably Irish soul singer" PennyBlackMusic.com

"An assured and accomplished foundation on which to build a burgeoning career" Mike Davies (Folking.com)

"Making Sand sounds beautiful" - Mike Scott (The Waterboys)

"Picking up where Mic Christopher left off" - TheMacMusic.com

“A fantastic album” - Sharon Shannon

"One of Ireland's most exciting artists" - Hot Press Magazine