Inis Mór singer-songwriter Padraig Jack is currently on tour ahead of the launch of his upcoming album in May – his second – and will play three shows in Galway this month.

They include a free concert in Joe Watty’s on Inis Mór this Friday night, March 15, at 8pm for Seachtain na Gaeilge.

There will also be a show in Gort on March 23 and one in Cill Chiaráin on March 29.

Padraig Jack (Ó Flaithearta) has just released Atone, the second song from the album, which features saxophonist Anto Thistlethwaite, a member of the original Waterboys and more recently with the Saw Doctors.

Anto adds a catchy riff to the tune, while Padraig’s lyrics focus on the importance of listening other people’s views, especially those you disagree with. The two first met when Padraig opened for the Saw Doctors in 2018 and they’ve been working on the new album since last summer.

“I grew up listening to The Waterboys and The Saw Doctors,” says Padraig, adding that there’s also a family connection, as “my dad was involved in bringing The Waterboys to Aran in 1988”.

His father is singer-songwriter Barry Ronan and Padraig is a nephew to poet Mary O’Malley, so it’s no surprise he has music and poetry in his veins.

Inis Mór has a rich literary tradition, having produced writers such as Liam Ó Flaithearta, Máirtín Ó Direáin and Breandán Ó hEithir, and Padraig is the latest in a long line. Writing in English and Irish, and determined to create his own writing voice in Irish, his influences include James Taylor, Enya, Van Morrison, Shane MacGowan, Richard Thompson and the late Sinéad O’Connor.

Padraig Jack won praise from the likes of Mike Scott, Sharon Shannon and Miles Hunt (The Wonder Stuff) for his debut album, Making Sand, which was released in September 2020 – during Covid. It got huge airplay and great reviews, with the title track being nominated for an RTÉ folk award.

For his forthcoming album, Padraig has again teamed up with producer John Reynolds (Sinéad O’Connor, Damien Dempsey) and also with his father and occasional co-writing partner Barry Ronan, as well as with Anto Thistlethwaite.

He began 2024 with a series of shows in the UK with  Miles Hunt and had a sold-out concert in the Pepper Canister Church during Dublin TradFest. He also toured Wales with Welsh language artist Meinir Gwilym.

Padraig Jack’s current tour takes in dates across Ireland, including a St Patrick’s Day gig at Kilkenny TradFest, which features Anto.

He’s at the Town Hall in Gort on Saturday, March 23, again with Anto and singer and multi-instrumentalist Eamonn Mulderrig (of the group Vickers Vimy). Tickets are €20 and the show starts at 8pm. And he’s playing an unplugged gig at Coyne’s in Cill Chiaráin on Friday, March 29, with tickets at €20.

For more information and to buy tickets for shows, go to https://www.padraigjack.com.

Pictured: Padraig Jack is playing three Galway shows this month, kicking off on Inis Mór this Friday night with a Seachtain na Gaeilge gig. He’s in Cadhain’s, Cill Chiaráin, on March 29.