President Higgins hosts final garden party celebrating Irish country music

Áras an Uachtaráin played host to a moving and joyful tribute to Irish Country Music on Wednesday, July 2nd, as President Michael D. Higgins welcomed some of the genre’s most beloved artists and contributors to the final garden party of the season.

Among those invited was Ballinamore native Simon Power, the driving force behind the Cowboys and Heroes Country Music Festival held annually at Drumcoura, near Ballinamore. Since founding the Drumcoura festival in 2014, Power has helped grow it into one of Ireland’s leading country music events.

The event featured a 90-minute concert under a marquee on the lush grounds of the President’s residence. Power described it as “an incredible day,” noting the presence of familiar faces and industry professionals—including Carrick-on-Shannon’s own Jared Butler, who worked as stage manager for the night, and broadcaster Joe Finnegan of Shannonside Radio, who was also among the guests.

“It was the last garden party the President is holding,” Power said. “So I felt incredibly privileged to be there. The food was great, the weather was amazing, and to be inside the Áras itself was something special.”

President Higgins delivered a reflective and poetic address, honouring the emotional power and cultural value of music.

“Music knows no borders,” he said. “It can carry joy and it can carry sorrow. In Irish culture, music and song have been deeply central... inherited, but also continually evolving.”

He spoke about Irish country music’s roots on both sides of the Atlantic and the way its evolution mirrors the journey of the Irish people.

“This evening we celebrate not only their craft, but the communities that keep music alive.”

Power echoed the President’s sentiments, speaking to the spirit of the scene he’s helped shape.

“The Irish country music scene has an incredible atmosphere. It’s full of the nicest people, great crowds, and the buzz just keeps growing,” he said. “The jiving scene is exploding across the country. It feels like there’s more energy than ever before.”

“For the President of Ireland to acknowledge country music in this way—it was very, very special.”

After the speeches, the party kicked into gear as some of the biggest names in Irish country took to the stage, including Sandy Kelly, Brendan Shine, Seán Keane, Claudia Buckley, Patrick Feeney, Cliona Hagan, and Derek Ryan.

It was a night that struck a perfect chord—celebrating the past, embracing the present, and sounding a confident note for the future of Irish country music.

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Simon Power, founder of the Cowboys and Heroes festival, attending the Irish country music celebration at Áras an Uachtaráin.