Community

Irish music concert to kick off St. Patrick’s Day season today

Fiddle player Eamonn O’Rourke will perform at St. Patrick’s R.C. Church in Southold.

Once again, several renowned musicians will kick off the St. Patrick’s Day season with traditional Irish music concerts beginning tonight and continuing Wednesday.

Today’s show is the second fundraiser for St. Patrick’s R.C. Church in Southold and takes place in the church from 2 to 4 p.m. The Wednesday evening performance at Peconic Landing in Greenport will once again honor the late Dick Noncarrow, a former Suffolk County National Bank vice president who was an avid fan or Irish music.

“You don’t often get the chance to hear musicians of this quality on the North Fork,” said Thomas Doolan of Southold, former Eastern Long Island Hospital president who with his wife Betty is coordinating both shows.

Seven-time All-Ireland button accordion champion John Whelan will perform with Eamonn O’Rourke, who plays the fiddle, mandolin and guitar. The shows will mark the return to the East End of ballad singer John Morrison.

A native of North London, Mr. Whelan appeared in the original Broadway production of “Riverdance” and was named the Irish Echo newspaper’s traditional musician of the year in 1998.

Mr. O’Rourke, a native of Donegal, has toured with five-time Grammy Award-winning country singer Kathy Mattea and has performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Lincoln Center and the Grand Ole Opry.

Mr. Morrison, who was a regular at the Peconic Landing shows for many years, returns after being unable to leave Ireland for health reasons. Also from County Donegal, he has performed in Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and toured extensively in Ireland and Europe.

Tickets for today’s show are $20 for adults and $10 for youths 12 and under and are available at the door, at Southold Pharmacy, Rothman’s Department Store in Southold and the Whiskey Wind Tavern in Greenport.

The Peconic Landing performance begins at 8 p.m. in the facility’s auditorium and is free for residents.

[email protected]