The Celtic Ray brings back top-notch Irish entertainment to Punta Gorda

Just before St. Patrick's Day last year, the original owner of the Celtic Ray, Kevin Doyle, resumed ownership of one of our favorite watering holes fondly called the Ray, Slowly the old spirit of the traditional Irish pub has returned, and this season Kevin is bringing back some of the best  Irish musicians on Wednesday and Saturday nights (and sometimes on off Thursday or other. Here is a rundown for January:

Weds. Jan. 5 Jimmy Crowley 8 pm
Thurs.  Jan. 6 Ian Millar 8 pm
Sat. Jan. 8 Chris Morgan 8 pm Weds.
Jan. 12 Noel Cooney 8 pm
Sat. Jan. 15 Chris Morgan 8 pm
Weds. Jan. 19 Bruce Stuart 8 pm Thurs.( Jan. 20 Live Stand Up Comedy)
Sat. Jan. 22 Brigid’s Cross 2 pm
Sun. Jan 23 Brigid’s Cross 2 pm
Mon. Jan. 24 Stephen’s Green 8 pm
Tues. Jan. 25 Stephen’s Green 8 pm
Weds. Jan 26 Brendan Nolan 8 pm
Sat. Jan. 29 Emily A Thompson 7 pm



And some background:


Noel Cooney is an Irish balladeer, singing and playing his guitar all over the Southeast USA. He was born Irish through and through being of the Cooney's and the Monaghan's and lived in Dublin before moving to Dunedin with his wife Trina. Known as the "Once and Future King of Dunedin", Noel had a bit part in the movie "Excalibur". Noel has always supported local Celts, activities and Flanagan's, a favorite meeting place, due to his warm hospitality: "There are no stranger's here, only friends that never met."

Jimmy Crowley has been a central figure in the Irish folk scene since the enthusiastic reception of his debut album The Boys of Fairhill in 1977. With his band Stokers Lodge their mission was to present the street ballads of Cork city complimented by the ornate folk songs of the rural hinterland of Cork and Kerry in an exciting orchestration of uilleann pipes, concertina, autoharp, harmonium, mandolin, bouzouki and guitar in their native accent.

Ian Miller  hails from Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Ian inherited his rich vocal tones and musical ability from the best of both sides of his family. He was an official camp-follower of the Irish Rovers, following in his father Joe Millar's footsteps, taking to the stage and the road at an early age. When cousin Will Millar left the Rovers, Ian joined Will on the road as an integral member of Will's band, Some Mad Irishmen. Since then, Ian has toured the United States and Canada several times.

Chris Morgan  has broadened his acoustical leanings to include traditional Irish music, which has helped to propel him into a successful career as a performer primarily in the Irish pub circuit. His travels have included performances in Key West, West Palm Beach, Naples, Jupiter, Tampa, Brandon, Lakeland, Dunedin, CoCoa Beach, Melbourne, St. Cloud, St. Petersburg, Punta Gorda, Orlando, St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Melbourne, Atlanta and Columbia.

Brigid's Cross is a long-time Ray favorite.Formed in 1996, Paul Baker, Peggy Goonan-Baker and Richie Reece bring an eclectic collection of music to the stage. From true-to-heritage traditional music to contemporary pieces, Brigid’s Cross is a never-ending show from start to finish. Audiences are pulled into a vortex of humor and pure musical sound that keeps fans coming back for more. All three sing vocals, with fabulous three-part harmonies. Richie lays down the backbone of fine rhythm guitar and incorporates world championship step dancing into the act, and Peggy fills out and layers the sound with varied keyboard and bodhran playing. Paul, a master violinist who has performed for a living for more than 30 years, plays a wide range of styles on the violin, and is also the band's personable master of ceremonies.

Brendan Nolan was born and reared just to the north of the city of Dublin. When he was growing up in Ireland in the sixties and seventies there was a resurgence of interest in Irish music. Spearheading this musical rebirth were groups like The Dubliners and Planxty. Around the same time the singer-songwriter boom in America had taken off. Both of these genres would ultimately influence his own music.  After starting out in the vibrant Dublin Ballad scene of the mid-seventies he moved to Canada in 1979. His musical life in Montreal was marked by a very extended run at the Old Dublin Pub, a venue he still plays from time to time. For nearly 14 years his name was synonymous with the Old Dublin.  A critic sums it up best "Nolan has been blessed with a rich Irish voice and an Irish way with words. In his singing and his musical arrangements he helps his listeners to feel the pain, the joy, the humour, the triumph, the sadness, the longing, as deeply as did the old songs of the tradition"


Emily A. Thompson's  Celtic fiddling is described as “organic, fresh, and full of passion.” She plays traditional Irish, Scottish, and Cape Breton tunes in highly energetic and innovative arrangements.