News

Glengarry Bhoys Join 2008 Festival Lineup

February 27, 2008

To paraphrase Thin Lizzy, "the Bhoys are back in town." The Glengarry Bhoys, who recently announced that they would no longer be performing due to health reasons, will be coming out of their short-lived retirement for a limited number of shows this year, and one of those special shows will be at the 2008 Great American Irish Festival. In October of last year, the Glengarry Bhoys, one of the most popular bands on the Irish festival circuit, announced that due to health issues concerning co-founder and leader, Graham Wright, the group had decided to disband, canceling all dates, including the Great American Irish Festival. Then, in early February, GAIF director Matthew Sullivan received a message that changed everything.
"I got a call from the agent for the Glengarry Bhoys, telling me that Graham's condition had improved to the point where they were planning on doing a limited number of performances this year, and that the Great American Irish Festival was number one on their list," said Sullivan. "The Glengarry Bhoys have been part of every Great American Irish Festival from its inception, and if they tell me they want in, they're in"
The Glengarry Bhoys have their roots in Glengarry, Ontario and their music draws on the unique blend of the French and Scottish musical heritage indigenous to the area. Their blend of traditional music, fused with the multicultural sounds of modern and contemporary Celtic music, has brought them international acclaim.
The addition of the Glengarry Bhoys to a lineup that already includes such world-class acts as Cherish The Ladies, Eileen Ivers, The Prodigals, Enter the Haggis, The Elders, Hair of the Dog, the Barra McNeils, Rathkeltair and Greenwich Meantime cements the Great American Irish Festival's position as one of the preeminent Irish events in the nation.