Stories in Song

The Folk Ups

Songs, sessions & the odd bit of good we do along the way

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A choir walked into a session.
The rest is history.

The Folk Ups rehearsing together in their practice space

We're The Folk Ups — a group of singers and musicians from Roscommon who found each other through the Roscommon Men's Choir and discovered we had more tunes in us than rehearsal time would allow.

So we started playing together outside the choir. Folk songs, traditional Irish tunes, the odd ballad that makes grown men well up (we neither confirm nor deny this). We play for the love of it, and we play for charity — because what's the point of a good session if it doesn't do someone a bit of good?

We're not polished. We're not trying to be. What we are is authentic, enthusiastic, and deeply committed to the tradition — with just enough craic to keep things interesting.

"Proud members of the Roscommon Men's Choir family — where it all started, and where we still sing every week."

The voices behind the racket

Eight lads, a handful of instruments, and an unreasonable amount of heart. Here's who you'll find when The Folk Ups take to the stage.

Paul
Paul
Stephen
Stephen
James
James
Iomar
Iomar
Leo
Leo
Shane
Shane
Keelan
Keelan
Jonathan
Jonathan
The Folk Ups during a practice session

"We practise in a gym. The acoustics are terrible. We wouldn't have it any other way."

Somewhere in Roscommon

Where to find us next

8
May 2026

Carnegie Arts Centre

Kenmare, Co. Kerry

Proceeds to Kenmare Special Needs Childrens Group

Upcoming

More dates being added — follow us or drop us a line to stay in the loop.

Where we've been

2025

Live Performance

The Courthouse, Ballygar, supporting Palestine (n.b. Folk Ups did not exist then!)

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Past

Book us, join us, or just say hello

Whether you'd like us to play at your event, fundraiser, or community gathering — or if you just want to say hello — we'd love to hear from you.

We play for charity events and community causes across Roscommon and beyond. If you've got a good cause and a crowd that likes a tune, we're your people.

📍
Roscommon, Ireland