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music · Friday 24 July 2026 · 8:00pm 
Sean Keane at Mallow Arts Festival
At St James' Church of Ireland · St James Place, Mallow, Co. Cork
At St James' Church of Ireland · St James Place, Mallow, Co. Cork
Seán Keane is one of the most distinctive voices in traditional Irish music - a Galway-born singer and multi-instrumentalist whose eleven solo albums have drawn praise from the London Independent and the Irish Times alike. His performance at St James’ Church of Ireland in Mallow on Friday 24 July is the headline act of the 2026 Mallow Arts Festival, and a rare chance to hear him in a small, intimate setting rather than a concert hall. The show suits anyone with a love of traditional and folk music, or anyone curious about what that voice actually sounds like live.
The gig runs from 8pm to 10pm in St James’ Church of Ireland on St James Place - a limestone Gothic building originally designed to hold 800 people but now configured for around 350, which gives the room a warmth that benefits acoustic performance. Church acoustics reward a voice like Keane’s: unhurried, rooted in sean-nós tradition but with a broader folk and country feel that keeps the songs accessible without softening them.
Keane performs with his band, and the set blends traditional songs with material from across his catalogue. Expect warmth and humour between songs - he is known for making an audience feel at ease. The festival’s own description calls his return to Mallow a long-awaited one.
The show is part of the Mallow Arts Festival, which runs 22 to 26 July 2026 across five days of music, visual art, literature and family events. Other acts on the programme include Loudest Whisper the night before and Dr. Strangely Strange on the Saturday.
Mallow sits on the main N20 road linking Cork city to Limerick, about 35 kilometres north of Cork. The town is also on the Cork to Mallow rail line, with regular Irish Rail services from Cork Kent station taking roughly 30 minutes. The church is in the town centre; street parking is available nearby, and the town car parks are a short walk.
Mallow has a compact town centre worth an hour’s walk before the show - the ruins of Mallow Castle and the river walk along the Blackwater are close by. There is more to see in Mallow and across Co. Cork.
Heading to St James' Church of Ireland in Mallow? Cork has plenty more to see. Read the Mallow area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.