BRINGING folk music right up to date, The Kilkenny’s appear at Ardhowen Theatre on tonight (Thursday). Seamus O’Rourke returns with another self-penned work ‘Dig’ on Friday and The PM Big Band will have the joint swinging on Saturday.

THE KILKENNYS IN CONCERT If you haven’t heard of The Kilkennys yet, then you are in for a pleasant surprise. Not only can these young balladeers sing but they are incredible musicians and performers and have been credited with keeping Irish folk music and ballads alive. Over the past decade The Kilkennys have emerged from the traditional settings of the Irish pub scene as a group of musicians with the ability to reinvigorate traditional Irish music and ballads and take them to a new generation.

The band consists of four fantastic vocalists and musicians who have been great friends all of their lives and that bond is evident in their seamless performances. With the ever charming and multi instrumentalist Davey Cashin on vocals, mandolin, banjo and whistles, Robbie Campions acoustic guitar, vocals and award winning banjo skills, the thumping bass lines and high harmonies from Tommy Mackey and of course the power house drumming and driving bodhran from Davey Long who also brings fantastic song writing and vocals to the mix, The Kilkennys really have it all. Topped off with a youthful image and modern sound, The Kilkennys have revitalised some of the finest Irish songs while also introducing us to some of their own. Expect plenty of good old Irish craic and banter, when The Kilkennys perform at Ardhowen tonight at 8pm.

DIG Playwright and Director, Seamus O’Rourke, who recently starred in ‘The Sand Park’ and ‘The Quare Land’ brings his latest production ‘Dig’ to Ardhowen on tomorrow at 8pm. Former Leitrim County Footballer Seamus, made his debut with the Corn Mill Theatre in 1989 as Larry in ‘God’s Gentry’. His versatility as an actor has seen him play such memorable parts as Barney the Banks in ‘The Communication Cord’, Junior in ‘Conversations on a Homecoming’ and Jim in ‘The Weir’. He has directed many plays including ‘A Handful of Stars’, ‘Cavalcaders’, and ‘The Stolen Child’ for which he received Best Director in the All-Ireland Drama Finals in Athlone in 2005. Seamus has become well known in the theatre world for tackling serious contemporary social issues through humour and some very quirky, but recognisable rural Irish characters. ‘Dig’, is no different.

In some parts of rural Ireland graves are still dug by friends and neighbours of the deceased and not by professional gravediggers. This is a play about that ritual and about things that never get said between men -- men who played sport together, men who would die for one another, men who would do anything for the ‘cause’ and yet keep their real thoughts a secret to the grave. The Human male tends to bury his problems rather than deal with them. This play is about digging them up again.

From its beautifully realised setting and lighting to its accurately drawn characters, this is a story so powerful and captivating from its opening words, yet so full of wit and humour throughout. O’Rourke himself revisits one of his finest roles as Big Tom O’Donnell; the Ardhowen audience is in for a real treat.

THE PM BIG BAND I N CONCERT This County Armagh based Big Band features the classic line-up of trumpets, trombones and saxophones. The band’s programme, on Saturday at 8pm, recreates the sound of the swing era, playing the music of famous big bands such as Glen Miller, Tommy Dorsey, and Count Basie; the music of the Great American Songbook and singers such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bobby Darin and Michael Buble; and swing interpretations of modern standards.

LOUISE MORRISSEY AND FRIENDS Louise Morrissey has long been one of Ireland’s best loved singers and entertainers. She has achieved great success in both Ireland and the UK, and has brought her easy style of country and folk to many other countries. Her hits include: ‘Music In My Heart’, ‘Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain’, ‘The Tennessee Waltz’, ‘Grandpa’, and ‘Tipperary On My Mind’.

Join Louise Morrissey and her special guests Patrick Feeney, Gary Gamble with his hilarious Daniel O’Donnell tribute and The Ryan Turner Band for a great night of Country and Irish music on Thursday, June 5, at 8pm. A show not to be missed!

THE PAPERBOYS This acclaimed Canadian-based band serves up a heady blend of country-folk-celtic-bluegrass-rock with a bit of traditional Mexican music thrown in for good measure. It defies labelling but, it is just brilliant music! The Paperboys are renowned for their energetic live performances and have wowed festival goers the world over.

The Paperboys were formed by lead singer, Tom Landa, in the mid nineties in Vancouver. Tom was born in Mexico to a Canadian mother of Irish ancestry accounting for at lest two of his musical influences. Mexican Son Jarocho mixed in with Irish Jigs and Reels and a good dose of Country and Bluegrass. It has healthy servings of Ska, Soca and African Highlife and they’ve been known to throw in a little White Boy Reggae. There are strains of Soul, Pop and Funk and a deep respect and appreciation for tradition (Bluegrass, Old Time, Celtic, Son). It Rocks and is extremely danceable, but can be mellow and slow and beautiful.

After their outstanding performance in June last year the Ardhowen Theatre is delighted to welcome back The Paperboys on Friday, June 6, at 8pm.

GINGERBREAD MAN Clydebuilt Puppet Theatre presents The Gingerbread Man on Saturday, June 7, at 3pm. Established in 1987, Clydebuilt is one of Scotland’s leading puppet companies, touring extensively throughout the UK and annually performing over 200 shows. Imagine a world made entirely of biscuits: trees, houses and stars in the sky. Into this beautiful world comes The Gingerbread Man, creating havoc wherever he goes. He meets a majestic Cow, a stubborn Goat and an opportunistic Bird. Gingerbread Man’s journey takes us through an ever changing world from kitchen to field to mountains and finally to the river. But can Gingerbread Man outwit the dastardly Fox? With a foot tapping ‘Yummy Chase’ soundtrack, this is a tremendously popular story and a visual feast specially devised for younger children aged three years and over.