Popular New Orleans Irish band, the Poor Clares, will perform at the Crescent City’s second annual Irish Fest: New Orleans on Saturday Oct. 17, 2015, at the Kingsley House, 1600 Constance Street, deep in the heart of New Orleans’ Irish Channel.

The Poor Clares are renowned singer Betsy McGovern; mandolin player and Irish native Patrick O'Flaherty; flutist and multi-instrumentalist Justin Murphy; and bouzouki-playing singer/songwriter Beth Patterson, who received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Folk Album for her 2009 album, On Better Paths.

Since their 1992 debut at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Poor Clares have brought the best in Irish music to New Orleans, and far beyond. During 2011, the Clares celebrated their 20 years together performing at Jazz Fest. In 2014, they headlined both the inaugural year of Irish Fest: New Orleans, and the New Orleans-hosted 2014 annual Irish Famine Commemoration.

For many people, New Orleans will always be a Jazz town, but, according to Patrick O’Flaherty, New Orleans is the perfect venue for Irish music due to the city’s thriving Celtic heritage. As a musician, said O’Flaherty, he would like to see people exposed to a contemporary view of Irish culture and music, something that he feels is often overshadowed in the U.S. by “Irish stereotypes.”

“I always encourage people who hear me play to go visit Ireland, or Scotland and explore traditional Celtic music at their own pace," said Patrick O’Flaherty. "The music has travelled from Ireland and Scotland to Appalachia, and all the way down to New Orleans. With all the people of Celtic descent in NOLA , there is no reason why there should not be an Irish festival here every year."

Fellow Poor Clare Justin Murphy agrees.

“Traditional music differs from pop music in that it deals with universal and timeless themes,” said Murphy. “Celtic music is a wide category, but if you never get to hear it then you never learn how wonderfully diverse it is. That is what all festivals give you  - a certain breadth and scope when it comes to music. They are such great places to have fun and showcase musical diversity.”

And, said Murphy, while he now lives in Florida, there is no place like New Orleans for embracing both fun and musical diversity.

“For me, New Orleans will always be home on a couple of fronts,” said Murphy. “It’s where I learned to play Irish music, and it’s where I still have dear friends. New Orleans doesn’t demand that you fit any “mold,” musical or otherwise.  I was listening to New Orleans music on the radio the other night, and all I wanted was to be back in New Orleans listening to music here. I remember thinking that would make me just perfectly happy.”

The Poor Clares will perform at Irish Fest: New Orleans, Kingsley House, 1600 Constance Street on Saturday Oct. 17, 2015, and at the Kerry Irish Pub, 331 Decatur Street, on Sunday Oct 18, 2015.

Also performing at Irish Fest: New Orleans 2015:  The Zydepunks; Wild Irish Roots; the New Orleans Strathspey and Reel Society; Richie Stafford and Friends, Paul Tobin; and the New Orleans Celtic Harp Ensemble.

Information about The Poor Clares is available at: http://www.poflaherty.com/

Information about Irish Fest: New Orleans is available at: http://www.irishfestneworleans.com/