The Drogheda Songwriting Festival
Ticket Prices: Discount Early Bird Price: €30 (Before Sunday 13th July). Full Price €40 thereafter.
Time: 9.30am – 9pm
***NB: When you have completed your ticket purchase don’t forget to email droghedasongwritingfestival@gmail.com to nominate your choice of two workshops – one for each session – 10.30 am & 12.30pm ***
The Drogheda Songwriting Festival 2025 promises to be a day of inspiration, collaboration and creation for songwriters of all levels.
Sunday 28th September will be crammed with songwriting workshops & opportunities to collaborate, write and perform new music and gain insights from the cream of Ireland’s songwriting talent. Throughout the day there will be spaces provided for songwriters to network and co-write with fellow participants, and then perform the fruits of their days’ labour on the Droichead main stage.
The day-long festival will culminate in an intimate Q&A session where HamsandwicH, one of Irelands biggest musical exports of the last 20 years, will spill the beans on their creative process to Charlie McGettigan, followed by an acoustic performance by the group.
The mentors hosting the workshops are themselves also songwriters of critical acclaim – Ultan Conlon, Suzanne Savage, SJ McArdle, Keith Burke & Gillian Tuite – and they will be on hand at times throughout the day to lend a listening ear to anyone seeking outside perspectives on their work-in-progress.
Darren Flynn, festival co-organiser, explained their vision for what the festival hopes to achieve:
“We want to provide a space to the songwriting community in Ireland, to help more songwriters feel a part of it, and to provide them with a few new tools to get the most out of their raw talent and inspiration. Think of it as an in-service training day for songwriters”.
This initiative is presented with the welcome support of the Droichead Arts Centre, Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO), Louth County Council Arts Office and Clarke Civil Works.
Key Speakers: HamsandwicH (Q&A session & performance) – 7.30pm – 9pm
One of the most enthralling live acts in recent times, HamsandwicH are well known for their incendiary live performances which has put them right at the top of the live acts to see today. With the combination of Niamh Farrell’s powerful yet sweet vocal and Podge McNamee’s juxstaposing baritone the band are given it’s signature calling card. If ever there was a band to feed off their audience it is HamsandwicH. Each show is bona fide celebration with everything from balloons and confetti to their unique crowd interaction on display.
Festival Host: Charlie McGettigan
Charlie has worked with artists like Maura O’Connell and Eleanor Shanley, who both recorded many of his songs. He joined forces with Paul Harrington and Brendan Graham to win the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest for Ireland with “Rock n Roll Kids”.
Workshop Mentors:
Ultan Conlon – 1st Workshop session: 10.30am, 2nd (repeat) Workshop Session: 12.30pm
Ultan Conlon, Galway-based, internationally acclaimed and with a voice as rich as his storytelling, is one of Ireland’s finest singer-songwriters, captivating audiences from Kilnamartyra to Los Angeles and beyond. His poetic lyrics, soaring melodies, and unmistakable voice have earned admiration from legends like Mary Coughlan, Eddi Reader, Gaby Moreno, and Hollywood star John C. Reilly. Ultan has shared the stage with music icons such as Jackson Browne, Shelby Lynne, and Nickel Creek, while his five critically acclaimed albums have solidified his reputation as a masterful songwriter. His music has also made its mark in film, composing the soundtrack and score for Songs for Amy
Suzanne Savage – 1st Workshop session: 10.30am, 2nd (repeat) Workshop Session: 12.30pm
Suzanne has over twenty years of professional vocal experience, from live stage to studio as both session singer, professional chorister and soloist, alongside a career as a singing teacher and coach with students of all ages and abilities. She has written and co-written several albums, including the German Record Critic Prize nominated 2016 album “Sleepwalking” with cellist/arranger Hugo Smit (for their string quartet and voice project The Savage Five).
SJ McArdle – 1st Workshop session: 10.30am, 2nd (repeat) Workshop Session: 12.30pm
SJ McArdle is a songwriter, musician and curator, critically-acclaimed at home and abroad. He is known for his PORT project and its accompanying RTE Radio 1 Album Of The Week Old Ghosts In The Water, his previous work in award-winning folk band Kern and his career as a singer-songwriter in Nashville and Germany, which produced 2014’s critically-acclaimed Blood and Bones album.
Keith Burke – 1st Workshop session: 10.30am, 2nd (repeat) Workshop Session: 12.30pm
Dublin Songwriter and Skerries native Keith Burke has released three original albums. “The Dancer who Stole your Shoes” in 2004, “No One Wants to Move” in 2008 and “These Boys” in 2016. He has played concerts in Pittsburgh USA, Cairo Egypt and Beirut Lebanon, has played televised concerts in Italy, dates in the 2005 Guinness Cork Jazz festival and received the Hotpress “Pick of the fortnight”.
Gillian Tuite – 1st Workshop session: 10.30am, 2nd (repeat) Workshop Session: 12.30pm
Gillian Tuite is a singer, songwriter and fingerstyle guitarist from Oldcastle, Co. Meath. Her performances, typified by creative and tasteful guitar playing, strong vocal melodies and heartfelt lyrics, have earned her a reputation for captivating a live audience. Gillian travels regularly to Nashville where she collaborates with renowned figures from the world of country, folk and bluegrass music. Gillian frequently works with other Irish artists and has been a member of The Paul Simon Project and the collective Lemonade Marinade.
For the titles and details on each workshop, check out: https://www.droghedasongwritingfestival.com/
Festival Schedule:
9:30 am -10:30 am Registration
10:30 am – 11:50 am 1st Round of Workshops by the festival mentors.
11:50 am –12:30 pm Work/collaboration time – where participants can work on & complete the songs they begin in the workshops.
12:30 pm –1:50 pm 2nd Round of Workshops by the festival mentors (repeats).
1:50 pm – 2:30 pm Work/collaboration time – where participants can work on & complete the songs they begin in the workshops.
2:30 pm – 3:45 pm Lunch Break & Song Registration for performance.
3:45pm Song Registration closes
3:45 pm – 5:00 pm Participant Co-write Performances on the main stage in the Droichead Theatre
5:00 pm- 6:00 pm Break
6:00 pm – 7:15 pm Mentor Performances
7:30 pm- 9:00 pm HamsandwicH Q&A and performance