Wailers join local trad session at Cryan’s Teach Ceoil in Leitrim

Carrick-on-Shannon was treated to a rare and unforgettable night of music on Sunday, June 29, when members of The Wailers joined a traditional Irish session at Cryan’s Teach Ceoil—playing for hours alongside local musicians in a spontaneous cultural collision that had the whole room buzzing.

Fresh from their headline set at the Night and Day festival in Lough Key Forest Park, Wailers guitarist and vocalist Junior Jazz dropped into the pub with fellow band members and backup dancers. The world-famous reggae group—once led by the legendary Bob Marley—didn’t just watch. They picked up instruments, joined the local trad crew of Oisín Morgan, Gerry Miley and James Wickham, and jammed well into the night.

“They were here for hours,” said festival co-founder Craig Hughes. “It just kept going. The energy in the room was electric.”

In a joyful cross-cultural twist, The Wailers’ dancers even joined in the fun, learning a few Irish dancing steps from regulars and giving the crowd a moment they won’t soon forget.

The surprise session was one of many magic moments during this year’s Night and Day festival, which drew over 5,000 attendees — up 30% from last year. Now in its third year, the Roscommon-based boutique event delivered standout performances, sunshine, and serious creative flair.

“It was amazing — our bodies are sore but our spirits are high,” said Hughes. “Everywhere you looked, people were smiling. That’s what makes all the work worthwhile.”

One of the weekend’s standout innovations was the debut of the Sol Stage inside Moylurg Tower, where artists performed amid immersive, real-time visuals by Irish-based Ukrainian artist Sergey Khadzhava. “There’s just nothing else like it in Ireland,” said Hughes.

Still, for many in Leitrim, the story of the night reggae met trad at Cryan’s—complete with fiddles, footwork and a whole lot of soul—may go down as a late night session hard to top.

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