Irish Romantic Musical Comedy, The Fiddlers of Inishbofin, at Burren Pub in Davis SquareTonight

One of the interesting new shows this St. Patrick's Day is  The Fiddler of Innisbofin, a musical romantic comedy. It is the brainchild of Tommy McCarthy, co-owner of the Burren Pub and fiddler extraordinaire.  It’s premiering at the Burren Pub on March 13-16, featuring, naturally enough some great fiddling as well as singing and romantic hijinks. Purchase tickets online.

Inis Bo Finne (Island of the White Cow) is an island seven miles off the coast of the Galway, with a long legacy of traditional music. 

“I came about the idea for the play two years ago,” McCarthy says.  “When I was at a musician’s birthday party on Inishbofin, a local fiddler from the island sat on one of the visiting musician’s fiddle.  But it did not turn into a love story quiet the opposite. So my wild romantic mind put pen to paper.”

McCarthy collaborated with Peter Charles Holm, a local writer and producer who is directing the play.  They selected an all-Irish cast of performers, including Janine Gunning and Brendan Quirke, Joanne O’Connell, Dessy Rushe, Michelle Glynn, Shane Lally, and McCarthy.  The cast is joined by a stellar session ensemble of Louise McCarthy, Tom Bianchi, Hugh McGowan, as well as pop performer Sean Og, traveling from Ireland for the event.

McCarthy wrote fourteen of the sixteen songs and tunes, and has big plans for the show after its Burren run. “I would love to bring the Fiddles of Inishbofin on the road this spring. I feel its something different. So many other shows are doing the same old thing.”

The proceeds of these concerts will be donated to breast cancer research, McCarthy says. 

Find more stories about the Boston Irish in BITA's Travel & Culture Guide, available for free at tourism kiosks and Irish venues throughout Massachusetts.