Disappointment at cancellation of George Murphy concert

The Abbey Arts Centre has announced the cancellation of the upcoming concert with George Murphy and the Rising Sons.

The event had been due to take place in the Ballyshannon venue this Friday, November 24. 

A spokesperson for the Abbey Arts Centre said: “We are really disappointed to announce that we have to cancel George Murphy and the Rising Sons.”

It is hoped that a new date will be scheduled. 

The spokesperson continued: “We look forward to welcoming George and The Sons back to Ballyshannon in the New Year.  

“Apologies to all those who had tickets purchased, refunds will be processed for all.  Here's to the New Year and a great night in the company of George Murphy and the Rising Sons!”

The concert was to be hosted by Ballyshannon Folk and Traditional Music Festival after a hugely popular appearance by Murphy and his band in the festival marquee in August. 

 is delighted to announce, back by popular demand, George Murphy and the Rising Sons.  

Hailing from the Dublin suburb of Beaumount, singer songwriter George Murphy exploded onto the Irish music scene after delighting viewers on RTE reality show You’re a Star.

He was just 17 years old at the time and was a huge hit with people of all ages. 

The late Ronnie Drew said George had “a voice beyond his years” while Phil Coulter described him as “the most exciting vocal find in Ireland.”

After enjoying great success on the Irish music scene with his first two albums, George moved to the US in 2010. This followed the release of his third album which featured a duet with Christy Dignam of Bob Dylan’s Sara in 2009, and a subsequent tour of America.

During the three years he spent in the states, George was headlining festivals while gaining an ever growing number of fans.

However, he returned to Ireland in 2013, having grown weary of the ups and downs of life on the road.

He said of that time: “It’s a tough life being on the road as an artist, it’s full of ups and downs, the highs are very high but the lows are very low.”

There followed a period of songwriting and playing small venues to introduce his new material. 

George’s fourth album was a mix of original music and traditional arrangements of some of his favourite songs, as well as interviews with the singer. 

In 2017 he accepted an offer to join the High Kings, and was a hugely popular addition to the group. 

George set up his own new group, The Rising Sons with David Brown, Declan Parsons, Jimmy Morrison, Joey Hughes, Tommy Whelan, Shane O’Hannigan and Sean Regan in 2019. 

Having embarked on a massively successful tour, the band was just getting off the ground when the pandemic struck. But they used the time to work on perfecting their sound and exploring material and content. 

George is really excited about what this group has to offer and is looking forward to bringing the show to venues around the country. 

While a new date has not yet been announced for Ballyshannon, the concert is expected to take place in the new year.