Traditional singer Macdara Yeates (ex-Skipper's Alley) launches his debut solo album Traditional Singing from Dublin at St. Mary's Church, Kells, Co. Kilkenny on Saturday November 9th, 2024.

Described by The Sid Valley Folk Show as “an absolutely stunning singer—a complete tour de force,” Macdara Yeates is one of a crop of young artists associated with the recent resurgence of traditional singing in Dublin City, alongside acts such as Lankum, Ye Vagabonds, and Landless. In 2012, Macdara became a founding member of The Night Before Larry Got Stretched, a Dublin folk collective counting such singers as Lisa O’Neill, Ian Lynch and Radie Peat (Lankum) among its earliest members. From 2013 to 2017, Macdara toured and recorded with seven-piece trad ensemble Skipper’s Alley, performing across the UK, Europe, India, Zambia, Canada, and the USA.


With a booming baritone, described as “a crystal-clear voice that contains echoes of the declamatory style of Luke Kelly and the emotional depth-charge of Liam Weldon,”, Macdara’s debut solo effort marks a new arrival in the Irish folkscape. The singular ten-track record features a range of material; from lighter numbers such as Dublin comic song The Herrin’; to a haunting rendition of Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye, the 19th century anti-war ballad sounding ever relevant in today’s geo-political climate. Siobhán Long of The Irish Times writes; “Raucous, bawdy, reflective and wistful in turn, Macdara Yeates’s solo debut is a robust collection in which this Dublin singer revisits age-old tales and renders them anew with his own unforced imprint.”

Traditional Singing from Dublin is out now on all streaming platforms, with CD, vinyl and digital copies available to order via Bandcamp. The release is followed by a string of dates across song gatherings in Ireland and England, such as An Góilín Traditional Singers’ Session, The Sunflower Folk Club, The Hartlepool Folk Festival, and more.

“Traditional Singing from Dublin is a candid, clear-eyed and uncluttered snapshot from a singer who is finally stepping into the spotlight.” The Irish Times

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