Trudi Lalor and the Wrafters for 'Stars of Irish Country Concert' in Offaly

For the second year in a row, The Wrafter Family Band will make a special guest appearance at Billy’s Stars of Irish Country concert at the Tullamore Court Hotel.

The Wrafter Family Band is really something quite unique on the Irish music scene right now. The band is literally the entire Wrafter family of dad Peter, mum Noreen, and their three children; Conor, Thomas, and Aimee, all on stage performing together. Playing a mix of Irish ballad, folk, and trad music, the Kilbeggan based quintet are no strangers to the spotlight, having already notched up several high profile appearances over the last six or so years, not least a Saint Patrick’s Day performance on The Late Late Show in 2017.

They were finalists on the TG4 show Réalta Agus Gaolta in 2019 (having also performed on the show in 2018); performed on the Today show on RTE 1 at the very beginning of the first lockdown period in 2020; have performed twice in Leinster House for the Ceann Comhairle in support of Trocaire (Christmas 2018 with Finbar Furey, and Christmas 2019 with Johnny McEvoy); and even shared their talents with an audience in the G.P.O. (also Christmas 2019 in support of Trocaire, and with George Murphy).

And their impressive list of accomplishments to date also includes opening for Nathan Carter, The Fureys, and The High Kings on three occasions.

If you’ve yet to have the pleasure of seeing them play ‘live’, what you can expect to see when that time finally comes is Peter on guitar and vocals; Noreen playing the tin-whistle or keyboard (quite possibly both) while also adding her distinctive vocals to the mix; Conor playing the banjo in a way very, very few can; and Thomas - at various points – playing either the bodhran, cajon, mandolin, fiddle or bass, AND singing; while Aimee can be found on vocals, sometimes displaying her Irish dancing skills too, and often playing the concertina.

The family have also taken to the stage at events such as the National Ploughing Championship, and the Tullamore Show, and they have twice been guests on Charlie McGettigan's Shannonside radio show.

The Wrafters were also asked to audition for Britain's Got Talent in 2019, the year they also

launched their debut EP, entitled The First Verse, with two sold-out concerts in the Tuar Ard Arts Centre in Moate in November of 2019.

In the summer of 2022, the Wrafters were invited to participate in the Virgin Media One TV show, The Big Deal, where they performed on the main-stage in the 3Arena, Dublin, in front of Boy George (who was one of the show's judges, along with Jedward, the comedian Deirdre O' Kane, Aston Merrygold from the boy-band JLS, and Lyra). Both Boy George and Jedward voted for the Wrafters, but unfortunately, they needed a third vote (the Jedward vote only counted as one) to progress to the next round.

However, as the show – despite its impressive staging, big-name judges, and equally big budget – quickly sank without a trace causing barely a ripple of serious attention along the way, this was probably a blessing in disguise.

On a much more positive note, late in 2022 Conor was one of just three winners chosen to perform with WeBanjo3 on stage during their concert at Leisureland in Galway. The competition, organised by the Galway band together with the Galway Advertiser, was open to entries from all over Ireland, and saw Conor hand-picked to perform with the band, alongside fellow winners, Galway girls Melissa Clarke on accordion and Nicole McLaughlin on concertina.

In welcoming the trio on stage, the band declared to a full house that while Britain's got talent, and America's got talent, Ireland has the best talent, as they found during their search. Conor, who was introduced on stage by WeBanjo3's Enda Scahill, was hailed as "one of Ireland's finest banjo players", with Enda also remarking that the band had searched all over Ireland to find him.

Also performing as simply The Wrafters of late, Peter, Conor, and Thomas have featured on the same bill as The Tumbling Paddies, while the full Wrafter Family Band performed on the same show as The Whistlin' Donkeys in August.

~ Billy Morrissey’s Stars of Irish Country Concert, hosted by Trudi Lalor, takes play on Tuesday, January 16, at the Tullamore Court Hotel. Also performing on the night will be Trudi herself, Sandy Kelly, John McNicholl, Gerry Guthrie, Tex Deegan, Olivia Douglas, and the Matrimony Band. Tickets are available from www.eventbrite.ie, or by contacting hotel reception on 057-93 46666.