Damien Mullane & The Laads

‘An album of exceptional musicianship and extraordinary vision, it’s certainly rooted in traditional music, but you wouldn’t accuse it of staying there because in the final tally the music is fashioned in the most modern and sophisticated of ways. This is a fabulous album with a very contemporary feel that should be on the radar of anyone interested in Irish music in general.’
Irish Echo (US)

‘It is discretely rumoured among musicians when discussing the merits of box players that the best of them must have sold their souls to Beelzebub himself in order for them to learn and indeed master such an arcane and devilishly difficult instrument I know this because i tried it (without the aid of Supernatural agency)… and failed! Now I can’t state with any certainty, whether Damien here struck some kind of deal with the feller downstairs, but judging by this fiendishly clever album, I would say that it’s more than likely. Enjoy!…No harm will come to ye.’
Sting (The Police)

Damien Mullane, Seán O’Meara and Conor Broderick come together as the dynamic trio 

‘Damien Mullane and The Laads’

Described as a virtuoso with an avant-garde style of playing, Damien Mullane has won numerous All-Ireland titles on both button accordion and melodeon and continues to share his expertise, teaching many young musicians. Hailing from West London and residing in County Galway, he began his professional career as the accordionist in the legendary Frankie Gavin’s band De Dannan and has played with countless household names, including as part of the band 'Project West' with Manchester's Colin Farrell. Damien has gone on to release two incredible solo albums, ‘13’ and ‘Evoke’, collaborating with some of Ireland’s leading exponents such as Donogh Hennessy, Zoe Conway, John Joe Kelly, Trevor Hutchinson, Dessie Kelliher, Pauline Scanlon and Éamonn de Barra. Having toured extensively and performed as far afield as China, Australia, New Zealand, India and USA, Damien has worked with the likes of Ronnie Wood (Rolling Stones), James Taylor, Bob Geldof, Sting (Police) and Bill Whelan (Riverdance), to name a few. He has performed to audiences in some of the world’s most prestigious venues: Carnegie Hall, Slane Castle, The Electric Picnic, Radio City Hall, 3Arena and Glastonbury and to high profile figures like U.S. Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, Prince Albert of Monaco and former Irish presidents Mary Robinson and Michael D Higgins.

The multi-talented Seán O’Meara is a musician, composer, producer and singer-songwriter from Limerick. A 2012 All-Ireland champion, Seán first went on tour aged 16, making a name for himself playing with renowned musicians including Máirtín O’Connor and Martin Hayes. Having graduated from the Irish World Academy in UL, Seán now teaches with Music Generation Limerick as well as lecturing in both the Masters and PHD courses for Classical and Traditional Irish Music in UL. With a background rooted in Rock, Pop, Classical and Traditional Irish music, Seán has played in over 20 countries in concert halls, stadiums, festivals and historic music venues. He has performed alongside and opened for incredible artists and dignitaries including Antonio Banderas, Bob Geldof, David Gray, Denise Chaila, Gavin James, The High Kings, Martin Hayes, Máirtín O’Connor, Michael D Higgins, Mike Hanrahan, Ralph McTell, Steve Cooney, Sting (The Police), The High Kings and more. Seán has been writing and producing music for the last number of years, featuring on multiple albums and recordings, with his own debut album ‘Notions, Potions and Emotions’ released in December 2025. He is also a member of the. transatlantic band ‘the olllam’ (RTÉ Best Folk Group, Grammy 2025 Nominated for best Dance/Electronic Album as part of Telos - Zedd).

Multi-All Ireland winner, pianist Conor Broderick grew up in County Galway, surrounded by traditional Irish music and quickly became a sought-after accompanist, honing his skills under the guidance of eminent mentors including Padraig O'Reilly, Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin and Ryan Molloy. Specialising in harmony and skilled at playing a variety of genres including jazz, rock, classical and contemporary music, Conor now tutors at The Irish World Academy where he formally trained. He has performed with numerous artists including Sharon Shannon, Ray Fean, Denise Chalia, Korey Riker, Niamh Farrell, Neda Nikolic, Seo Linn and Tim Edey and has played at many prestigious venues and festivals around the world like Vicar St, The Telegraph Building, Kulturpalast Dresden, Gaelic Park Chicago and The Tolstoy Estate. He has also opened for ‘The Coronas’ with Conleth McGeary and ‘The Olllam’ with Seán O’Meara.

Concert information

The concert will take place in a private area of The Parrs Wood pub, Didsbury. There will be a mixtures of tables and chairs for you to choose from and standing room, creating a small, intimate and relaxed concert, similar to that of a house session. Please note the seating is not in rows and can not be reserved - arrive early to avoid disappointment.

Entry to the private concert area will be open from 6:30pm with the concert starting promptly at 7:15pm.

After the concert, we invite you to join the host musicians from our Session Trail for a traditional Irish music session for a tune or a listen. Our Session Trail info will be released in due course.

There is limited parking in the pub car park but plenty on-street parking. Disabled parking available. Recommended age 12+ (please note there are age restrictions in the pub, no U16 past 9pm).

Cancellations & Refunds Policy – Ticketed Events

Tickets for events sold through The Gateway to Manchester TradFest cannot be refunded after purchase unless the workshop, ceili or concert is cancelled or rescheduled or there is a material change to the ticketed event. Please note, Manchester TradFest Ltd however will not be liable in any way if a ticketed event is abandoned due to any factors which are beyond our reasonable control such as, acts of God: including earthquakes, storms, flooding, power failure or fire, force majeure: including war, terrorist acts, and civil commotion. In circumstances where refunds are to be given, the refund will equal the face value of the ticket plus any per ticket booking fee.