Cry Before Dawn at the Spirit Store

Cry Before Dawn are one of the genuine success stories of Irish rock. Formed in Wexford in the early 1980s, they built a following across Ireland and the UK through relentless touring and a sound that wove uilleann pipes and tin whistle through driving guitar rock - an approach that felt distinctly their own. They won the IRMA award for Best Newcomer in 1987 and Best Irish Group in 1989, released two double-platinum albums on CBS/Epic, and then went quiet for nearly two decades. Their return has been worth the wait: a 2025 EP, Open Water, reached number two on the Irish album charts. This August show at the Spirit Store brings them to one of the northeast’s most respected small venues for an evening that will suit anyone who remembers them the first time around - and plenty who are catching up now.

What to expect

The Spirit Store is a compact, two-room venue on Georges Quay with a main room capacity of around 200. It is the kind of place where the sound is good and you are never far from the stage. Cry Before Dawn’s live reputation was built on intensity and warmth in equal measure, with frontman Brendan Wade handling vocals, acoustic guitar, uilleann pipes and whistle alongside a tight rhythm section. Expect a mix of classic material from Crimes of Conscience and Witness for the World alongside newer songs. Their 2013 comeback single charted in Ireland, and the 2025 EP has kept them in active conversation with a new audience. Doors are at 7:30pm; support arrangements, if any, would be confirmed on the venue website.

Getting there

Dundalk is easy to reach. The Dublin to Belfast Enterprise rail service stops at Dundalk Clarke station, roughly an hour from Dublin Connolly and two hours from Belfast Great Victoria Street. Bus Eireann runs regular services on the same corridor. Georges Quay is a short walk from the town centre and from the station - ten to fifteen minutes on foot. If you are driving from Dublin, the M1 motorway takes you directly to Dundalk; from Belfast, the A1/M1 runs south. Street parking is available around the quay area, though spaces fill up on weekend evenings, so arriving with a little time to spare is sensible.

While you’re in Dundalk

Dundalk is a working town with a long history, the county town of Louth and close to the border with Northern Ireland. The quayside area where the Spirit Store sits has a relaxed feel on a summer evening, with a few options for food beforehand. There is more to see in Dundalk and across Co. Louth.

Good to know

• Date and time: Saturday 8 August 2026, doors 7:30pm
• Tickets: €27.50 (plus booking fee) from spiritstore.ie
• Venue: Spirit Store, Georges Quay, Dundalk, Co. Louth, A91 NR79
• Phone: +353 42 935 2697