Kavanaghs in Portlaoise chosen as Grass Roots Sessions venue
Sessions to showcase original music from Midlands
A new platform for emerging Irish music is launching in the heart of the Midlands. Grass Roots Sessions at Kavanaghs Bar & Venue, Portlaoise is a fresh, three-month series of live gigs dedicated to showcasing original music by some of the region’s most promising bands and artists.
With a focus on homegrown, self-written material, Grass Roots Sessions will bring together acts from Laois, Offaly, Carlow, Kilkenny, Kildare, and Westmeath, offering them a professional stage and a chance to connect with new audiences.
Each event will feature three original bands or artists, performing all-original music—raw, real, and rooted in the local scene. The nights are curated by Brian and Finn O’Mahoney and will be compered by well-known DJ and documentary maker Ann Marie Kelly, who will also be filming the gigs as part of an ongoing project to document and support original Irish music.
In a unique move to support these artists beyond the live performance, three songs per act will be professionally filmed and recorded using a multi-camera setup, alongside mixed and mastered audio from the show. The goal: to provide each performer with a high-quality live video asset to help secure future bookings and festival slots.
“We want to give bands and artists something to take away with them that can be beneficial for getting future gigs from venues and promoters.” said venue owner PJ Kavanagh.
Organiser Brian O’Mahoney continues: “The first thing a festival looks for is a video of the act playing to see can they actually do it live. Kavanaghs has always been a great venue for supporting new live music and they have excellent PA and lighting in-house—so it’s an ideal venue for this project and we hope the shows will be supported by the public.”
The sessions aim to build a stronger grassroots network, encourage cross-county collaboration, and provide a high-quality platform for performers who often struggle to find live opportunities for original work.
“Ireland has always had a wealth of talent and the Midlands has always been a part of that. Unfortunately, it’s getting harder for bands playing original music to get to play to an audience. Our hope is that bands bring some of their own fans—and stay to support the other bands on the bill.”
Grass Roots Sessions kicks off on Thursday August 7th and at Kavanaghs Bar & Venue—long considered one of the Midlands’ best-loved hubs for live, independent music.
This project is part of The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport ‘Night-Time Economy Grassroots Music Venue Support Scheme 2025.
Grass Roots Sessions Dates.
AUGUST: Thursday August 7th, Thursday August 21st.
SEPTEMBER: Thursday 4th, Thursday 18th
OCTOBER: Thursday 2nd.
