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Beoga

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Beoga
Performing at "Folk am Neckar"in Neckarelz, 2013
Performing at "Folk am Neckar"
in Neckarelz, 2013
Background information
OriginCounty Antrim, Northern Ireland
GenreIrish folk
Years active2002–present
Members
  • Damian McKee
  • Eamon Murray
  • Liam Bradley
  • Niamh Dunne
  • Seán Óg Graham
Websitewww.beogamusic.com

Beoga (Irish word for vivid or lively) are an Irish folk band. They were formed in County Kerry in 2002 at the All-Ireland Fleadh, although the original four members of the band hail from County Antrim and County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. The line-up features Damian McKee on accordion, multi-instrumentalist Seán Óg Graham, pianist Liam Bradley and Eamon Murray on bodhrán. Niamh Dunne, from County Limerick, joined in 2005, on vocals and fiddle.[1]

In 2016, Beoga collaborated with Ed Sheeran on the songs "Galway Girl" and "Nancy Mulligan". They subsequently played with Sheeran many times, including during Sheeran's headlining set at Glastonbury Festival. In 2026, Beoga dropped out of Sheeran's Loop Tour in protest after venue owners pressured support act Macklemore, to leave the tour due to his pro-Palestine commentary.

History

Their 2007 album Mischief was voted one of the top folk albums of 2007 at the Live Ireland Music Awards and the German Music Awards. Their third album, The Incident, was shortlisted for a 2010 Grammy Award nomination, in the Best Contemporary World Music Album category.[2] In that year they were awarded a U.S. House of Representatives Certificate of Congressional Recognition and were described by The Wall Street Journal as "the most exciting new traditional band to emerge from Ireland this century."[3]

In 2016 Ed Sheeran invited Beoga to contribute to his album ÷. They co-wrote the song "Galway Girl" using parts of the track "Minute 5" from their album How to Tune a Fish.[4] They are also featured on the song "Nancy Mulligan". On 25 June 2017 the band backed Sheeran for a performance of "Nancy Mulligan" during his headline performance at Glastonbury Festival 2017.[5]

The mini-album Carousel released in May 2020 showed a style change towards pop music,[6] with the guest musicians a strong influence.[7] In April 2021 the band released five instrumental tracks on the EP Breathe, which mix the structures of traditional Irish tunes with elements of pop music.[8][9]

In 2026, Beoga returned as Sheeran's backing band for a tour of the United States.[10] Beoga played for the folk-inspired portion of the set list, which included "Galway Girl" and "Nancy Mulligan".[11] However, after an opening act, Macklemore, was removed from the tour after controversy related to saying "Free Palestine" in concerts, Beoga left the tour in protest. Beoga later released a statement which read, "We are a traditional Irish band who never saw ourselves playing in stadiums of that size and that opportunity is not lost on us. We have been friends with Ed for over 10 years now and will continue to be. We believe in dialogue as a means of progressing the plight of the Palestinian people. As musicians, playing to those crowds every night is the stuff of dreams but to play in venues that silence anyone advocating for a Free Palestine is simply not an option for us... As founding members of the Irish Artists for Palestine movement, we are committed activists for justice and will continue to be."[10]

Discography

  • A Lovely Madness (2004)
  • Mischief (2007)
  • The Incident (2009)
  • Live at Stockfisch Studio (2010)
  • How to Tune a Fish (2011)
  • Beoga – Live at 10: The 10th Anniversary Concert (2013)
  • Before We Change Our Mind (2016)
  • Carousel (2020)
  • Breathe (2021)
  • Phases (2025)

References

  1. ↑ "Beoga Playing Naul and Sligo". Dublin, Ireland. The Journal of Music. 2 April 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  2. ↑ "Beoga bag Grammy nomination". Hot Press. 9 November 2009. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  3. ↑ Hitchner, Earle (17 March 2009). "Irish Quintet's Serious Fun". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 15 July 2015. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  4. ↑ "Ed Sheeran and us – how Beoga crossed the Divide". RTÉ.ie. www.rte.ie. 4 March 2017. Archived from the original on 25 October 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  5. ↑ Savage, Mark (25 June 2017). "Ed Sheeran closes Glastonbury 2017". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  6. ↑ "Album Review: Beoga, Carousel". www.hotpress.com. 29 May 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  7. ↑ "Irish folk band Beoga aren't listening to the backlash for working with Ed Sheeran: 'We've never been purists'". metro.co.uk. 22 May 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  8. ↑ "Trad/roots: A breath of fresh air from Beoga". metro.co.uk. 16 April 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  9. ↑ "Beoga play the Limelight to celebrate the release of Breathe EP". metro.co.uk. 16 April 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  10. 1 2 Ryan, Órla. "Irish acts Aaron Rowe and Beoga quit Ed Sheeran's US tour in protest over Palestine". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 September 2026.
  11. ↑ Callahan, Mary (9 July 2026). "What to expect on Ed Sheeran's LOOP Tour: Setlist, start time and more". SeatGeek. Retrieved 20 September 2026.
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