Great Irish Hooley Archives - On the Go in MCO

10th Annual Great Irish Hooley Music Fest

Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant will host the 10^th annual Great Irish Hooley boutique music festival Labor Day weekend, September 2 through September 5.

The Great Irish Hooley is one of my FAVORITE events at Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant because it is filled with amazing Irish bands performing traditional Irish tunes, Celt grass, folk, and blues.

This mix of music will have you dancing between bites!

This year’s Great Irish Hooley features a first-rate lineup of luminaries from the traditional Irish music world, including:

Téada – This leading Irish traditional band will headline the Hooley lineup. Dubbed “invigorating” by the Washington Post, the band just released their sixth album. Don’t miss them!
One for the Foxes – An exciting new transatlantic trio merging backgrounds in Irish and American folk music for an eclectic vibe.
Celtic Croí (Heart) – Talented trio from Dublin, Belfast, and Glasgow pump up the Hooley volume.
Gobhán – Dynamic duo from County Down, Ireland, playing guitar, fiddle, and vocals.

When you hear the word “Hooley,” you know to expect a good time!

It’s a Gaelic term for a lively party with music, entertainment, and fun for everyone in the family.

When the spirit moves you, be ready to kick up your Hooley heels -the talented Raglan Road Irish Dancers will lead guests through a lively Ceili. The Ceili step dances, dating back to the Celts and Druids who inhabited Ireland in the 1500s, are usually the main event of local celebrations in Irish and Celtic communities.

Raglan Road Great Irish Hooley 2022 Raglan Road Irish Pub Disney Springs

It all begins Friday afternoon, Sept. 2, and continues through late-night Monday, Labor Day. Celtic face painting is complimentary, and the pub will feature new whiskeys and a special Hooley brew, the De Fesht, that brings an Oktoberfest-like spirit to the late-summer festivities.

The best part is that there’s no cover charge to join the Raglan Road fun featuring top Irish bands with high-voltage entertainment!!!

In addition to the pub’s All-Day Menu, the delicious Rollicking Raglan Brunch will be served throughout the weekend, including Labor Day Monday, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Reservations are recommended; call 407/938-0300. Check out raglanroad.com, and plan to join us for the Great Irish Hooley!

Great Irish Hooley Returns to Raglan Road

Central Florida’s only authentic Irish and roots music festival, the Re-plugged Great Irish Hooley, will return for the long Labor Day weekend at Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant in Disney Springs.

Never heard of a “Hooley?” It’s a Gaelic term for a lively party with music, entertainment, and fun for the whole family, and from September 3-6 guests can enjoy performances from top Irish bands alongside food and beverage offerings.

Great Irish Hooley Entertainment

Great Irish Hooley Raglan Road 2021 — Raven’s Rock

This year’s Hooley entertainment headliners are a rare collaboration of luminaries from the traditional Irish music world playing everything from trad and folk to Celt grass and blues:

Raven’s Rock—All-Star Band Featuring Members of Lúnasa – These unique one-off daily performances at the Re-plugged Great Irish Hooley will bring together Cillian Vallely and Kevin Crawford, current members of Lúnasa, one of Ireland’s most renowned progressive traditional Irish music acts of the past 25 years. They are joined by Matt Mancuso (Eileen Ivers and Lord of the Dance) and Allan Murray (Ivers and Paul Brock). The Raven’s Rock happens to be the title of Cillian Vallely’s solo CD.
The Gothard Sisters – This dynamic sister trio, performing throughout the Hooley, are making waves on the major Irish festival circuit, touring, writing and performing contemporary Celtic folk music with an optimistic style that resonates with their loyal fan following. Their latest album, Dragonfly, features the sisters playing an assortment of acoustic instruments combined with vocals and modern production that explore themes of resilience and adventure.

The Byrne Brothers – This exceptionally talented trad Irish music family from Donegal is back for an encore on the Raglan Road stage. American Celtic Radio listeners voted them “Rising Stars of 2021” and “Best CD cover of 2021” for Living the Dream. Dempsey, 12, is an Irish dancer who sings and plays bodhran and whistle while revving up the crowd with his jokes and on-stage antics. Finn, 15, dances and plays banjo, mandolin, and guitar. Luca, 17, dances and plays button accordion. Dad Tommy sings and plays Uilleann pipes, bagpipes, fiddle and whistles. They’ll perform Sept. 4-6.
The lineup is complete with Raglan Road house artists Slygo, Aaron O’Grady, and the Raglan Road Irish Dancers.

Delicious Dishes

The Raglan Road kitchen will offer dishes to pair with the De Fesht and other Raglan Road brews including a Grilled Lollipop Pork Chop with spiced pineapple chutney, purple kale, parsley mashed potato, and smoked butter sauce.

“We created this dish to complement the festival beer,” Sean Griffin, Director of Operations at Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant, says. “De Fesht would pair best with pork and smoked flavors. Of course, there are many other dishes to try if you prefer fish, beef, or a vegetable-forward dish.”

Another new entrée is the pub’s Florida Key Lime Salmon—whiskey cured, lightly smoked Atlantic salmon, Florida key lime and herb crushed potatoes, peas, shaved horseradish, and crispy salmon skin.

Veggie lovers can try the new all-plant-based Shepherd’s Pie.

Sláinte

The Re-plugged Great Irish Hooley will include Hooley-crafted cocktails plus creative new bites by the pub’s inventive culinary team.

The pub also will feature a new local craft beer and will serve the delicious Rollicking Raglan Brunch Saturday through Monday, Sept. 4-6 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; the regular menu will be available for the Hooley from 3-10:30 p.m.

To kick off the Re-plugged Hooley, Raglan Road will introduce a limited-release craft beer in collaboration with The Tank Brewing of Miami (since 2014).

De Fesht (which translates to “festival”) is a full-flavored medium-bodied amber lager with lighter malting that contributes to underlying notes of hazelnut and honey. The brew’s dry finish enhances its drinkability, says Raglan Road general manager Alan Delahunt. “It’s a seasonal, one-batch brew perfect for the end of summer into fall. It’s a traditional-style Marzen which would be consumed by the liter at Munich during Oktoberfest,” he says.

Raglan Road 2018 Mighty St. Patrick’s Festival

There’s no cover charge to join the Great Irish Hooley fun, which begins at 4 p.m. Friday, September 3, and continues into the wee hours of Labor Day, September 6.

Reservations are recommended.

Great Irish Hooley Returns to Raglan Road

8^th Annual Great Irish Hooley Music Festival Will Rock Labor Day Weekend at Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant in Disney Springs

Central Florida’s rip-roaring, toe-tapping, high-voltage boutique Irish music festival will serve up a colorful live playlist of traditional Irish, Celt grass, folk, blues and soul August 30-September 2 during the 8^th Great Irish Hooley at Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant in Disney Springs.

There’s no cover charge to join the fun, which begins at 4 p.m. Friday, August 30 and continues into the wee hours of Labor Day, September 2.

Never heard of a “hooley?” It’s an old Gaelic term for a party with music and entertainment with fun for the whole family. The Great Irish Hooley will include Celtic face painting, Hooley-crafted cocktails and beer plus creative new bites by the pub’s inventive culinary team. Raglan Road also will serve the delicious Rollicking Raglan Brunch Saturday, August 31 through Monday, September 2.

This year’s Hooley entertainment headliners include:

Billow Wood – Playing Irish and U.S. music festivals, this four-piece band fuses its unique brand of instrumentation with multi-vocals and harmonies for a blend of Irish and folk music. The band, which released its long-play album, “Can You See Me” – available for streaming and downloading on Spotify and other music sites – will have everyone tapping along to its bass and drums.
Strings & Things – Before returning to Raglan Road this summer, the original Irish folk/trad four-piece band Strings & Things toured in London and throughout Ireland with their own original sound and a variety of crossover songs featured on their first original album, “Turbulence.”
High Time – This fresh new trio from Connemara, Ireland, combines Irish music and an intriguing blend of modern folk influences to produce a rich sound and exciting experience. The band rocks an energetic statement with its instrumental line-up of flute, whistles, harp, bodhran, guitar and vocals – as well as some Irish dance steps thrown in!
TradGad — Three talented musicians from Kerry, Dublin, Colin Foley (guitar, vocals); Fionn Morrison (Uilleann pipes, whistles); and Ciara Ni Bhrian (guitar, fiddle, mandolin, Uilleann pipes, tin whistle, banjo and bazouki, charm Raglan Road audiences with their vibrant performances.
Maca – Two Irish sister-musician-songwriters dubbed “Ireland’s next big thing” are rocking Raglan Road Pub stages with their extraordinary talent. Saoise Carty (guitar,vocals) and Naoise Carty (fiddle, vocals) are from Wexford, Ireland.
The Rolling Wave – Stephen & Abby are one of the finest traditional Irish music duos around. These accomplished, energetic musicians work their crowd for some lively audience participation.
Atlantic Bridge – These accomplished musicians blend their rich musical backgrounds to create a fresh, exciting mix of country, folk and Irish trad music.

Raglan Road Great Irish Hooley 2019 Raglan Road Bar Disney Springs Walt Disney World

The Raglan Road Irish Dancers — Plucked from the cast and stages of the world’s greatest Irish dance shows, the Raglan Road Irish Dancers perform throughout the Great Irish Hooley. You can even learn some traditional Irish dance steps – no experience necessary!

Throughout the Hooley, guests can step up to one of Raglan Road’s 130-year-old imported-from-Ireland bars or grab a table for authentic contemporary Irish fare.

In May 2019, Raglan Road received OpenTable honors as one of the top 100 restaurants in America with “all the ingredients for the perfect big night out – upbeat energy innovative cocktails . . . and outstanding food.” A TripAdvisor Hall of Fame honoree and The Daily Meal’s 2018 “Best Irish Pub” in Florida, Raglan Road is known for its beer-battered fish and chips, Shepherd’s pie with a contemporary twist, delectable seafood and desserts, plus gluten-free entrees.

Raglan Road Disney Springs Mighty St Patricks Day Festival Great Irish Hooley Raglan Road Disney Springs 2016

The festival will run from Friday afternoon at 4 pm through the wee hours of Labor Day (actually 1 a.m. Tuesday).

Check out raglanroad.com and join us for the fun!

The complete entertainment schedule is at Great Irish Hooley 2019 .

Raglan Road Great Irish Hooley 2019 Rhythms of Raglan Road Disney Springs Walt Disney World

Owned and operated by Irish partners John Cooke and Paul Nolan, Raglan Road features traditional Irish dishes and new creations with a Celtic twist.

The restaurant’s warm interior of aged walnut and mahogany woods from old Irish bars and churches was built in Ireland and shipped to Orlando.

Live entertainment nightly includes a suite of shows featuring Irish bands and dancers. Guests also can enjoy shows beginning at noon during the weekend Rollicking Raglan Brunch. Lunch is served 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Dinner 3-11 p.m.; Bar menu 11 p.m.-late; Saturday and Sunday Rollicking Raglan Brunch is served from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant is located at Disney Springs in the Walt Disney World Resort, 1640 E. Buena Vista Dr., Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Visit www.raglanroad.com or call 407/938-0300.