The audience left this show having been admirably entertained, which is not surprising given the quality on offer. In the same programme, we heard music from Frankie Gavin, Mairtin O'Connor, Alec Finn, Chatterbox and guest, James Blennerhassett, songs from Maighread Ni Dhomhnhaill and Sean Keane, with his accompanists Pete O'Hanlon and Frank Kilkelly, and enjoyed dance from seannos superstar, Roisin Ni Mhainnin and Damien Noone. It was a night of few risks as the artists performed material from past albums, in a good representation of the commercial end of the Irish folk music scene.

However, the ambitious thematic pretensions of pre-production hype, claiming to offer a journey from the Famine through the music of IrishAmerica, to the traditional music of modern Ireland, were not to be seen in the disjointed and haphazard arrangement of this production, that lacked any sense of unity. Dealings with the Famine were limited to an underdeveloped 25-minute section in the second half that was notable for its total isolation from the rest of the show. This included dramatic monologues from Kate O'Toole, the songs Johnny Seoighe and Skibbereen, and the newly composed suite The Emigrant Man from Mairtin O'Connor. Just when the show began to assume direction, a Caribbean dance tune was surreally dropped in.

It was a shame that a chance was missed to present such excellent traditional music in a new, dramatic, and even more exciting way. Better preparation would have seen the satisfying realisation of a promising concept. Runs during August. Booking on 091-569777.