Top country act to tumble into Cork this month
Easily one of Ireland’s hardest working bands is coming to county Cork this month for a show that guarantees incredible craic and homegrown original music.
It’s been an eventful few years for Fermanagh-based group The Tumbling Paddies who have pumped blood, sweat, and tears into their journey to become one of the country’s most popular entertainment acts.
Having formed in 2014, things really kicked off for the six lads in 2019 after a chance introduction with their now manager Andrew Cox.
Andrew, who writes songs with the lads, gave them the drive and determination to record and perform throughout Ireland and further afield and they haven’t looked back since, selling out large venues all over Ireland and abroad.
Ahead of their show at The Hiland in Newmarket, county Cork on 17 February, Andrew took time out of their incredibly busy schedule to tell us about how things are going with the band and what the future holds for them.
“Since Covid, we hit the road again and it's just been growing and growing and growing and now we are just selling out everywhere, it's just crazy. Our biggest problem is getting big enough venues now,” said Andrew.
Asked what the key to their success has been, Andrew says hard work, engaging with fans, and focusing on making good music has been paramount.
“I think people just took a liking to them,” says Andrew. “We've been on 'The Late Late Show' three times and the Rose of Tralee once, and we're getting offers now from American TV and everything.”
Their traditional and folk roots mixed with youthful and contemporary songwriting has allowed The Tumbling Paddies to travel the globe and be welcomed with open arms at every port, with plans in place now to go to Australia and the US.
Amidst all the travel and constant gigging (over 170 gigs last year alone), the lads have managed to write a tonne of new material and Andrew says a new album is well under way, with a single expected to drop in the coming weeks.
Asked whether their music has helped to introduce a new generation of Irish youth to traditional music, Andrew says: “Yeah, definitely. We get all age groups – we get people from 90 down to 19. They all know the songs, you see people in their 70s singing to the same songs as someone of 18, it's great to see.
“We often sing 'The Galway Shawl' or 'Will Ye Go Lassie Go' and old songs like that and all the young ones are singing it at the top of their voices.”
The Tumbling Paddies play The Hiland in Newmarket, county Cork on 17 February. Tickets are for sale on eventbrite.com and cost €22.42 including charges.