‘That’s the aim of a Tumbling Paddies gig, keep things lively’

From playing the Paris Olympics to mentoring on TG4’s hit Country music series Glór Tíre, to turning a young generation onto folk and traditional music, The Tumbling Paddies have truly hit their hot streak.

Over the last few years this young Fermanagh band - Oisin McManus (keyboards), Gareth Maguire (vocals), Martin Treacy (accordion), John McCann (drums), Lee Jones (guitar), Ciaran Owens (banjo) - has earned a deserved reputation as an exciting, in-demand, live act, evidenced by a touring schedule of near-constant shows across Ireland, Britain, and the European continent.

“We’re in America in August,” Martin Treacy says. “We’ll just be back from Australia at that stage. Then the next stop is Canada and the US. We’re doing five dates, and then back to the UK one weekend in every four for the rest of the year, so it’s an ongoing Irish and UK tour all the time, and Spain as well, and Germany.”

Donegal is a key stop-off point on The Tumbling Paddies’ international itinerary. With the county something of a second home to band, they play The Abbey Hotel, Donegal Town, on Sunday 20th April. They return in June to play the Mount Errigal Donegal Rally and the Pettigo Family Funday. For Martin, it’s hard to beat the energy and enthusiasm of audiences in Donegal and across the North-West.

“It’s amazing,” he says. “Ulster itself is amazing in its interest in music. We play a lot of gigs and there are queues down the street, they are mad about their jiving and their Country Music, it’s great to see it so popular across Donegal, Fermanagh, and Tyrone.”

That enthusiasm is reflected in the Paddies’ predominantly young audience. It also highlights why the Fermanagh sextet matters. They are among the vanguard of acts who, through a deep respect for the music and its heritage, are turning Irish Gen Zers onto folk and trad, making it exciting and, importantly, relevant to that generation.

“There’s a great young crowd that come to our shows and we’re young ourselves, or we like to think we are anyhow,” says Gareth Maguire. “When you see the young people out, going for a mad dance, they don’t want to be listening to sad, slow, songs, so we keep it lit and drive them on. That’s the aim of a Tumbling Paddies gig, keep things lively.”

A highlight of touring so far has to be their performances at last year’s Paris Olympics, which coincided nicely with one of Team Ireland’s notable successes.

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“It was great to be out there and out with the Irish athletes,” says Martin. “We played in a place called O’Sullivans and there were a whole host of different acts from Ireland, ourselves, The Coronas…That was in the Irish main camp, and we were there when Ireland was doing really well in rowing, we were meeting all of them.”

In advance of The Tumbling Paddies Abbey Hotel show, Donegal fans can see them on the new season of TG4’s Glór Tire, where they will be the house band for the Tuesday 18th March episode.

“Over 10 years ago, I applied to be on this programme as a contestant,” Gareth reveals, “but I was too young, so I couldn’t go on it, but it’s amazing the way the tables have turned. it's exciting now to be on the show.”

The Paddies are mentors on this season of Glór Tire, guiding and supporting contestants Jack Gladney, from Carlow, and fellow Fermanagh man, Paddy Treacy. The 18th March show will see them backing Paddy on ‘The Legend Joe Mahon’, a song about the hotel owner from Irvinestown, Co Fermanagh; while Gareth and Paddy will duet on Mick Hanly’s ‘Past The Point Of Rescue’ (“One of the best ever written by an Irishman,” declares Martin). With Jack Gladney, the Paddies will perform ‘Coal’ by Dylan Gossett and duet on The Dubliners ‘Come My Little Son’.

Glór Tíre is widely recognised as a vital platform for emerging and established Country and Irish talent, and as essential to the lifeblood of the genre. It’s a view the Paddies do not dissent from.

“It gives the Country and Irish music scene a lift and it keeps everybody up to date on the new artists and on what’s going on,” says Gareth. John McCann adds: “Growing up we would always have been watching it, every Tuesday night. It gives artists a chance to express themselves and gives them exposure and a great platform.”

The Tumbling Paddies appear on TG4’s Glór Tíre on Tuesday, March 18, at 9.30pm. Tickets for The Tumbling Paddies Abbey Hotel show are available via Eventbrite. See also thetumblingpaddiesofficial.com.