Festival unveils host of big names for January concerts including Ralph McTell, Altan and The Dublin Legends
Barney McKenna, otherwise known as “Banjo Barney”, the late Dubliners legend whose playing transformed the instrument from a pub-session staple into a global emblem of Irish music, is being celebrated in a major way at next year’s TradFest in Fingal, Co Dublin.
Now in its 21st year, the country’s largest trad and folk festival is returning in January with more than 30 concerts in castles, theatres and community halls around Fingal.
But the emotional heart of the festival will be Féile Barney, a three-day celebration in Howth’s Abbey Tavern, the seaside pub where McKenna lived, played and held court for decades.
“Barney didn’t just play the banjo, he took it to another level,” said his cousin Pádraig McKenna, who also plays banjo and was speaking at yesterday’s launch in Howth.
“I won’t say he introduced the banjo player to Irish music, but he brought it to another step.
“There had been other players before him, but Barney had that panache when The Dubliners were formed and toured Europe – he brought that music all around the world.
“What he did was new and it was exciting and he brought a different vision to traditional Irish music and how it could be done,” he added.
Pádraig, who lived with Barney for several years in Howth, said the Féile is a fitting tribute to a man whose charisma shaped generations of musicians.
“He was so generous with his tunes and his time and he knew his stuff too, the history of the music, the tradition, where it all came from,” he said.
Ciarán Bourke, Barney McKenna, Luke Kelly, John Sheahan and Ronnie Drew on ‘Whittaker’s World of Music’ TV show. Photo: Redferns
“That really came through when he played. He could fill a room just by walking into it and I think I’m right in saying that any banjo player these days will have looked to Barney for some sort of inspiration.
“The Lighthouse in Howth is where we would have a regular session on a Sunday afternoon and he would play there with his brother. It would just be electric seeing them two together. When they started playing, everybody listened.”
Growing up, he was known as “Banjo Barney from Donnycarney”, but he went on to become a legend in Irish traditional music when he formed The Dubliners in 1962 with fellow musicians Ronnie Drew, Luke Kelly and Ciarán Bourke.
He later moved to Howth and his distinctive plectrum style was dubbed the “McKenna Grip”.
He was the first real soloist on the tenor banjo
Among those influenced by him is musician and former broadcaster Kieran Hanrahan, artistic director of TradFest and a founding member of Stockton’s Wing.
“My background is as a banjo player too and I’d be one of the first generations to follow on from Barney,” he said.
“He was the first real soloist on the tenor banjo – before that, it was always a band instrument. We felt he’d been a bit overlooked in how the tradition developed, so this is our way of acknowledging that.
“So we’re banjo players ourselves, but we were the beneficiaries of Barney’s music and his wisdom.”
The Féile, which started as a small one-day event last year, has now expanded into a full weekend of concerts, sessions, banjo masterclasses and a photo exhibition dedicated to McKenna.
“The McKenna family have been incredibly generous with us,” Hanrahan said.
Kieran Hanrahan, Manus Ó Baoighill and Pádraig McKenna at the launch. Photo: Mark Stedman
“We’re taking someone’s name, their legacy and that comes with trust. But as musicians ourselves, we deeply respect it. Every banjo player these days, whether they know it or not, owes something to Barney.”
Other headline acts announced for TradFest 2026 include Ralph McTell and Stockton’s Wing, Altan, Derek Warfield and The Young Wolfe Tones, The Dublin Legends, Emma Langford and Niamh Bury.
For McTell, best known for Streets of London, Ireland has always held a special pull, which is why he’ll be performing a small, intimate show at the festival.
“I love it. I love working in Ireland,” he said. “Quite a few of my songs have made it into the tradition here and I’ve got dozens of Irish friends. I’ve been looking for Irish relatives too, but I haven’t found any yet.”
McTell (80) said he met The Dubliners while on tour in Australia.
“We had grumpy Ronnie, hilarious Barney, witty Jim McCann and the intense and dangerous Luke Kelly, and the lovely John [Sheahan] with his delightful fiddle playing with their personality all over it,” he said.
“It was just the perfect blend of men filled with passion, humour, drink and delight.”
TradFest 2026 runs across January, with events in venues including Ardgillan Castle, Malahide Castle, The Séamus Ennis Arts Centre and the Draíocht Theatre. Tickets are available from tradfest.com.