The BeerMats (The Ballyfermot Balladeers)
are performing at Louisville Irish Festival,
13th - 14th September 2008, Kentucky USA,
an official event of Ryder Cup Week.
The Louisville Irish Festival draws over 15,000 people over the two days, and has
seen some of Ireland’s legends performing like Tommy Maken, Paddy Reilly,
The Dublin City Ramblers to name a few.
more information to follow.
wishes the beermats all the best in Louisville USA
CONTACT THE BEERMATS
Hello and Welcome to The home on the web of The BeerMats, It's hard to believe that we are celebrating
our 15th year in the Irish music scene this year. "It's been an amazing journey, We did not think when
we started playing in a small bar in Dublin, we would still be going strong after all these years, says
Brian Smith, Guitar player and one of the founding members of The BeerMats.
Ballyfermot our home town is 3 miles from Dublin city, and is one of the best places to serve your
apprenticeship in Irish music, with groups like The Furey brothers, The Keenans and Singers like
Paddy Sweeney of the Barley Corn and The Dublin city Ramblers all growing up in the area.
Ballyfermot is rich in music and culture and its people are proud of there musical heritage.
The BeerMats began with one thing in mind the love of Irish music, founded in 1993 by Colm Gibbons
and Brian Smith and later joined by Tono Brennan & Francis Scattergood, from humble beginnings the
group became a house hold name throughout Ireland.
There’s been many hi-lights over the years open the show at the Rose of Tralee for Phil Coulter,
performing with groups like The Dubliners,The Fureys, The Wolfe Tone, The Dublin City Ramblers,
Tommy Sands to name but a few, also have the pleasure to work with one of Ireland best song
Writers Brendan Phelan, and recording some of his songs like Seven Sober Nights, The Equalizer,
Easter Lily which have seen great success on our albums with radio play in the Ireland, UK and the USA.
In September 2002 the Group tuck a change and booked one of Ireland best venues Vicar Street
and put on the biggest ballad show’s Dublin ever seen “Echoes of Ireland” it was a huge success,
The Show sold out two weeks before opening, 2003 we did it again, Vicar Street was full to capacity
with “Echoes of Ireland II” and later that year we did it again, when people said we were mad we
proved them wrong.
The BeerMats have over three albums to their credit. The first album, "Seven Sober Nights" was
an instant hit with their fans with songs like "A Song for Ireland" becoming an anthem of sorts
in the Dublin Area. Within a few years, the band was back in the studio recording "Jayo," the CD
that cemented The BeerMats as one of the premiere Irish Bands on the music Seen.
Singer Colm Gibbons says, "Those first two albums were really important in establishing us as
a different kind of Irish Band. We still paid homage to the influences of The Fureys and the
Wolfe Tones but we did our own version of the songs using a Different approach."
In March of 2007, the band recorded their third CD Easter Lily, a 14 track album with 9 brand
new songs, a first for a Irish Folk/Ballad in resent years, working with one of Ireland best song
writers was a great honor for the group. Brendan Phelan has become a great friend to the group.
The Group is well know for it charity work and have raised thousands of euro’s for local
and national cause’s and have established themselves as a group that always have time to
help out in whatever way they can.
Over the years the group have performed throughout Ireland and the UK and in resent years
have performed in Switzerland and Spain and this year will see the group perform in the USA at
Louisville Irish Festival, as part of The Ryder Cup.
The BeerMats are Bigger today, than ever. So Soak it up, and enjoy
Kindly Sponsored by Emerald Gas Limited
Sad news today as Colm, Lead singer with The BeerMats Dad (Francie Gibbons) passed away on 1-09-08 after a short illness.