Dance an Irish jig
1/1/2025
Some of Ireland’s biggest rising musicians and Irish dancers are set to perform in Des Moines on Jan. 18.
The Byrne Brothers concert is sponsored locally by the Celtic Music Association. The all-ages concert takes place at the Franklin Center.
The Byrne Brothers hail from Donegal, Ireland, and are a multi-award-winning family band consisting of Luca, 20, on accordion; Finn, 18, on banjo, mandolin and guitar; Dempsey, 14, bodhran and whistle; and their father, Tommy, on uilleann pipes, fiddle, guitar and bagpipe.
Tommy Byrne has been a musician his entire life. His kids were selected out of 10,000 auditions to be on the biggest Irish television show and won the Young Artist Academy Award for Outstanding Music Ensemble. They were named Rising Stars of the Year by American Celtic Radio Listeners for their album “Living the Dream.” The brothers are Ulster champion Irish dancers.
“They became famous overnight,” Tommy says. “I wasn’t planning for them to be musicians. It was natural to them. They wanted to pursue it and fancied doing it.”
Tommy says Irish music dates back 600 years.
“It came to America in the 1700s with the settlers in Virginia. That’s when it became bluegrass. It’s responsible for all (genres of) music.”
The family moved to Orlando in 2018 so the brothers could perform at Disney World. At the time, they were the youngest cast members ever to perform at Disney.
Since then, they’ve traveled to concerts in 47 states and across the world. This summer, they played the Milwaukee Irish festival with 10,000 concertgoers in attendance.
Tommy says they are one of the biggest Irish bands on social media, across all platforms.
“We’ve got two and a half million followers on TikTok. We just got 30,000 followers this week,” he reflects. “It’s going crazy with the numbers like that.”
The band stays true to its Irish roots.
“It’s important that we play traditional music and dance and socialize. This type of music is ‘happy’ music and puts everyone in a happy form,” he explains.
Tommy encourages people of all ages to attend the concert.
“It’s fun for the family. Bring the kids and granny. You don’t need to be Irish to enjoy the concert,” Tommy says. “It’s something you’ll remember. We’re not sure when we’ll be back to Iowa, so come while you still can. We’re going to have a party in Iowa.”
Celtic Music Association
The Celtic Music Association (CMA) sponsors a yearly concert series, including the Byrne Brothers concert, as well as two other concerts in February and March.
The CMA was formed in 1992 by local Des Moines residents Jerry Freeman and Tom Crowley. The pair discussed the lack of live Irish or Celtic music in Iowa and both desired listening to live music.
After the CMA formed, they scheduled their first concert at Cooney’s Tavern. Virgil Kleinhesselink, president of the CMA board, says the concert was a success.
“We thought we could make a go of it.”
Since then, they sponsor several concerts a year. The CMA board and concert committee members attend Irish festivals on scouting trips to recruit bands.
He says Celtic music consists of a lot of dance, ballads and storytelling, often driven by a fiddle, accordion or squeezebox. Some banjo, string instruments and the tunes provide a carefree beat.
Kleinhesselink first heard Celtic music in the 1980s when an Irish band performed at Colorado Feed and Grain.
“I fell in love with the music. I’m Dutch, but a lot of the board members have an Irish or Scottish background,” he explains. “I’m there for the love of music.”
The CMA is open to anyone interested in Celtic music. In addition to the Byrne Brothers, upcoming concerts include Switchback on Feb. 8 and The Jeremiahs on March 8. The all-ages concerts are held at the Franklin Center at 4801 Franklin Ave. in Des Moines. Tickets cost $30 in advance or $35 day of show. Tickets are available at eventbrite.com or without fees at various outlets. For more information on the CMA, visit www.thecma.org.
