The amazing journey the Timahoe Male Choir have been on over the past two years continues tomorrow when they perform in St Anne’s Park in Raheny as one of the warm-up acts to a sold-out 2 Johnnies Pints in a Field concert.
A 50-strong crew will depart Timahoe at 10.30am on Saturday morning, after one final early morning rehearsal in Ramsbottom’s bar in the village.
After a brief break following their memorable St Patrick’s weekend trip to New York, the Monday night rehearsals and outside performances have continued thick and fast in recent months.
They’ve played on the Saturday of the Punchestown festival, at the Ballyroan Vintage festival and, of course, at the Timahoe Viking festival last weekend.
This is the big one, though. So big that they’ve brought in a stage school to help with preparations. The renowned Leah Moran Stage School have been in the hall in Timahoe in recent weeks putting the members through their paces.
There’s also a fresh new uniform of new pants, shoes and red t-shirt, sourced via a good deal brokered with Andrew Shaw in Shaw’s Department Store.
And if that wasn’t enough they’ve been making a couple of subtle additions to their set list.
While the crowd in St Anne’s Park – which will include a healthy proportion of Laois people, helped in no small part by two bus loads of supporters from Timahoe – will hear some of their now well-established classics, they’ve a couple of bangers in store too.
They’re also adding an Irish dancing routine into their performance. Expect that one to go down a treat.
Such is the size of the choir, many who didn’t make the trip to New York will be back on the stage again. Some who did make it to New York won’t be on stage on this occasion for various reasons.
It’s not that there’s a cap on members. The demands of life means that everyone can’t be there all the time. The show, however, will literally always go on regardless.
Since the New York trip, there’s been a couple of new members, further enhancing the choir’s all-county make up: Denis Tierney from Ballyroan and Patrick Kelly, who was a groupie but is now a fully signed-up member. Kelly is a die-hard St Joseph’s man and will lighten that particular load on Denis ‘Blondie’ Kealy.
It’s the second time that the Timahoe Male Choir have performed with the 2 Johnnies having initially appeared on their RTE TV show last autumn.
The 2 Johnnies – podcasters, comedians and singers – have established a massive following in the last couple of years and this is their third ‘Pints in a Field’ concert. They have also performed a couple of sold-out gigs in the 3 Arena.
Among the other warm-up acts on Saturday are Jimmy Buckley, Basshunter and the Vengaboys.
After the group have lunch – in The Yacht in Clontarf no less – they’ll go back stage in St Anne’s Park and have their official sound check at 3.30pm. They’re expected on stage at about 5pm.
As one of the early acts, it’s expected they’ll be performing in front of about 5,000 people. In all, it’s believed to be an 18,000 sell-out.
And after that? Electric Picnic is the next big one in the diary but despite no shortage of offers, a US trip for St Patrick’s Day 2026 doesn’t look to be in the offing.
Instead, Derek Ryan’s Beat in the Heat in Torremolinos on the Costa del Sol next May is a strong possibility.
Let the good times roll.
SEE ALSO – In Pictures: Taking America by storm – an action-packed day in New York for the Timahoe Male Choir
