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music · Thursday 16 July 2026 · 8:00pm 
Yershovy Sisters - Strings of Hope
At St. John's Theatre & Arts Centre · The Square, Listowel, Co. Kerry, V31 V223
At St. John's Theatre & Arts Centre · The Square, Listowel, Co. Kerry, V31 V223
Five sisters, five violins, and a story that cuts right to the bone. The Yershovy Sisters - Ksenia, Yevlalia, Olena, Natalka and Sofiyka - are a Ukrainian string quintet who came to Kerry in 2022 after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. They arrived with nothing, and locals left instruments in their yard. Now the two eldest are studying at Cork School of Music, and together the five siblings have built a performing reputation that has taken them across Ireland. “Strings of Hope” is their concert programme, and seeing it at St. John’s in Listowel is one of those evenings that stays with you.
The sisters perform classical and arranged string repertoire as a quintet, with Ksenia - the eldest, now in her third year at Cork School of Music - responsible for arranging many of the parts. Their playing draws on rigorous Ukrainian conservatoire training; they have performed at masterclasses under British-Irish violinist Daniel Hope and at festivals and community events across the country. The concert is at St. John’s Theatre & Arts Centre, a converted 19th-century Gothic Church on Listowel’s Georgian Square. The building - a stone nave, arched windows, about 150 seats - is intimate without being cramped, and the acoustics suit strings well. Expect a programme of classical pieces and arrangements, delivered with the kind of precision that comes from players who have been practising together since childhood. It is a seated concert; the atmosphere is attentive but warm.
Listowel sits in north Kerry, roughly 27 km north of Tralee on the N69. From Tralee, follow the N21 north and join the N69 at Listowel town - the whole run is under 30 minutes by car. From Limerick, it is about an hour via the N21 through Abbeyfeale. Bus Eireann runs services between Tralee and Listowel (route 14); check current timetables at buseireann.ie to plan an evening return. The theatre is right on The Square in the town centre, and there is street parking around the square as well as a public car park a short walk away on Church Street.
Listowel is Kerry’s literary town - home of the annual Writers’ Week festival and the birthplace of John B. Keane. The Square itself has several good pubs and restaurants for a meal before the concert. There is more to see in Listowel and across Co. Kerry.
Heading to St. John's Theatre & Arts Centre in Listowel? Kerry has plenty more to see. Read the Listowel area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.