New Mayo trad and folk group Alder will be showcasing their songs to the attending delegates and musicians at Your Roots Are Showing 2026, an annual event that celebrates folk music and traditions from around the world.
Ballina trio Alder comprises Mark O’Donnell (fiddle, vocals), Grace Killeen (harmonium, vocals) and Iarla Dunford (bodhran, guitars, backing vocals), and they performed at the recent Concert for the Children of Gaza in Ballina.
The three bring a special brand of contemporary folk that crafts original songs rooted in the natural world, nostalgia, love and loss. Their original song ‘The Wild Geese’ is a gentle melody that has gained a lot of traction on social media.
The conference and showcase festival, which has been held in Killarney and Dundalk for the last two years, makes its Belfast debut from January 13 to 18 at the Waterfront Hall and ICC Belfast.
With five nights of showcases, panels, workshops and a buzzing music trail, Your Roots Are Showing is considered to be Ireland’s leading folk music showcase event. Every year it brings together artists, musicians, scholars and industry professionals to explore and share the diverse cultural expressions that make up the folk genre.
American country music icon Crystal Gayle, younger sister of the legendary Loretta Lynn, opens the conference at a Folk in Fusion concert which will bring together Grammy winners, radical innovators and new voices.
Meanwhile, since forming in the late summer of 2025, Alder have already played at their first festival, the Achill Island Sea Festival, held in September.
