The Mary Wallopers to headline Roadmender as part of Winter UK tour

The Mary Wallopers will headline the Roadmender this winter as part of an 18-date UK tour to support their forthcoming new album.

The seven-piece folk band from Dundalk are due to release Irish Rock ’n’ Roll in October and will headline the Northampton venue on Friday, November 24.

The record will follow last year’s acclaimed self-titled debut and includes new single Wexford, the second track to be lifted from the record following The Holy Ground which was released in April.

Talking about their new single, The Mary Wallopers’ Andrew Hendy said: “The song was written by Pecker Dunne, who was a travelling musician.

“He brought so many songs into circulation over the years he played, you’ll have heard the Dubliners playing a lot of his songs.

“He came from a line of travelling musicians. His father was a fiddle player and his mother was a tightrope walker, the whole family’s trade was entertainment. Wexford is one of the most beautiful songs in the ballad tradition.

“He wrote it about growing up in Wexford. It touches on his upbringing and on the grief that travellers suffer in Ireland which is something that’s not really talked about much. It’s an incredible, emotional song.

“We’ve always gravitated towards that side of folk music - the most accessible side of music, the kind you can just stand on the street singing.

“Pecker Dunne wrote so many funny songs, which makes it even more hard hitting when he’d sing a song like this.”

The Mary Wallopers were formed by brothers Charles and Andrew Hendy and their friend Sean McKenna who began traveling the length and breadth of Ireland singing and collecting songs.

During lockdown, they built up a huge online following playing livestreams from their home studio.

In the years since, the band have expanded to a seven piece and built a fierce reputation as a live act.

Irish Rock’n’Roll was recorded at Black Mountain Studios by David Noonan.

It has been described as an album that manages to “perfectly capture the chaos, humour and excitement,” of the band’s recent live shows while also showcasing the emotion of the traditional ballads they play.

Ahead of kicking off their headline UK tour this winter, the band will play 24 festival dates across the UK and Europe this summer.

The Mary Wallopers headline the Northampton venue on Friday, November 24.

Tickets cost £15 in advance before fees via https://www.theroadmender.com.

Tickets go on sale on Friday, July 21 at 9.30am.

A fan pre-sale begins on Wednesday, July 19, at 9.30am via SEE Tickets for anyone pre-ordering the album. For more information, visit https://fanlink.to/irishrnr