Irish Christmas in America

The hugely popular Holiday show Irish Christmas in America returns in 2026, bringing a fascinating performance of music, song, dance and stories of seasonal Irish traditions.

Produced by Sligo fiddler Oisín Mac Diarmada, this year’s show features an incredible line-up of talented artists including Cathy Jordan (vocals, bodhrán), Gráinne Hambly (Irish harp, concertina), Caoimhín Ó Fearghaíl (uilleann pipes, flute), Samantha Harvey (piano, dance) and Jack Warnock (guitar, vocals). Exceptional Irish music, song and dance combined with evocative photographic images, provide the perfect backdrop to a heartwarming celebration of the Christmas traditions of Ireland.

Take a memorable glimpse into the enchanting spirit of Christmas, as the finest traditional artists from Ireland, bring you on a fun-filled start to the holiday season of 2026.

Show Origins
The holiday show was first conceived in 2005 with past tours featuring a stellar list of guest vocalists. Mac Diarmada enthuses about the program as a way to bring traditional and often unknown Irish customs to the States. “One of the most heartfelt themes of Irish Christmas is emigration,” says Mac Diarmada. “Music was a way that people stayed close to home.”

Selected Individual Biographies
Cathy Jordan – vocals / bodhrán
Roscommon-born Cathy Jordan has been a professional singer with traditional group Dervish for nearly 30 years. She has led Dervish as front woman through thousands of concerts in hundreds of cities in nearly 40 countries and has 18 albums under her belt. Among the most notable performances were The Great Wall of China and the biggest rock music festival in the world – Rock in Rio to over 250,000 people.

Oisín Mac Diarmada – producer / fiddle
A graduate in Music Education from Trinity College Dublin/RIAM, Oisín has been described by The Irish Echo’s Earle Hitchner as “one of the most gifted and creative traditional fiddlers playing today.” Founder of noted group Téada, Oisín is also a regular solo performer, having appeared as guest soloist with the Southern Georgia Symphony Orchestra (USA) and Würtembergische Philharmonie Orchestra (Germany) along with an extensive recording history.

Gráinne Hambly – Irish harp /concertina
Gráinne Hambly from County Mayo in the West of Ireland is an internationally recognised exponent of the Irish harp. In 1998 she completed a Masters Degree in Musicology at Queen’s University Belfast, for which her main research topic was music collections and the harp in 18th-century Ireland. Since then, Gráinne has toured extensively throughout Europe and the United States, giving concerts, workshops and masterclasses.

Samantha Harvey – dance / piano
Samantha Harvey is an award-winning step dancer, pianist and accordionist. She has performed throughout the world. Samantha performed in RTÉ’s Centenary 2016, broadcast live from the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in Dublin and with the Omaha Symphony in A Celtic Journey.

Caoimhín Ó Fearghaíl – flute / uilleann pipes
Caoimhín Ó Fearghail was born in 1989 and comes from An Rinn in the Waterford Gaeltacht. He is self-taught on flute and guitar inspired by such diverse flute players as Matt Molloy, Mike Rafferty and Tom Doorley. Caoimhín is a graduate of UCC with an MA in Irish and has a keen interest in the songs of the Déise and their airs. He was chosen as Best Folk Instrumentalist at the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards for 2021.

Jack Warnock – guitar / vocals
Jack Warnock is a multi-instrumentalist and singer from Maghera, Co. Derry. Throughout his career Jack has performed as a soloist, accompanist, and in groups such as TRODA, Cóiriú and The Doc Flock. He has performed at events, festivals, and venues across the world.