Laois folk singer to perform in Times Square

FOLK singer Emer Dunne from Laois will perform in New York’s famous Times Square in March, marking a new high in her growing international career.

After walking in the city’s legendary parade, Emer will perform songs around the theme of emigration on the St Patrick’s Day festival stage in Times Square.

The Mountmellick singer will also appear at the renowned New York Irish Centre later that evening, as part of the ‘Forty Shades of Green’ celebrations.

She was invited to collaborate with Laois Co Council as a cultural representative of both county and country in New York on St Patrick’s Day, when the local delegation will include council chief executive Michael Rainey and chairperson Cllr Barry Walsh.

Described in the German music press as ‘one of the most beautiful voices in the Irish music scene’ after headlining a festival there, Emer describes the invitation to perform in the Big Apple as “a dream come true”.

She said: “Travelling to New York for St Patrick’s Day, representing my county and Ireland in the parade and at performances, feels like a huge honour. I am a representative of all who have family that emigrated to the US and forged new lives and music is a powerful way to celebrate those journeys, which kept and continues to keep the Celtic spirit alive.” 

Since her critically acclaimed number one album 'Hourglass' in 2021 with top producer Bill Shanley, Emer has had three number one singles in the Irish charts and captured the international spotlight with sellout shows across Europe and Australia.

Her first US tour with her band on the east coast last November received a glowing reception from Irish American and wider American audiences and critics.

Alongside her own headline shows in Ireland, Emer has toured for two years with folk icons The Fureys and shared a stage with Phil Coulter, Mick Hanly, The Celtic Tenors, The High Kings and many more.

She plays guitar and whistle and often performs as a trio with her bandmates on guitar and fiddle. A champion Irish dancer and drama enthusiast, she has also scripted, produced and performed in a variety of theatre productions.

Following the March trip, Emer and her band have been invited to return to the US for a second tour along the east coast in June, before returning to Ireland for shows later in the year.

With the US marking the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026, Emer says she is relishing the opportunity to share Irish music and song.

She said: “Music is a universal language, always at the heart of the Irish emigrant story. It’s a way of connecting to home and keeping home close, no matter how far away you are.”