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Fronted by husband-wife duo Ciarán Nagle and Tara Novak (both of Riverdance and The Three Irish Tenors), Ishna is a Contemporary Irish Folk Band. Members hail from around the world, bringing their different backgrounds to their musical explorations. Ishna’s performance is energetic and uplifting, infusing new rhythms, vocal harmonies and unexpected twists into the beloved music and stories of Ireland. Ishna captures the nostalgia of the old sod while having its feet firmly planted in the Ireland of today.

Ishna has long been a side project for its members, taking on occasional festival and concert performances (Symphony New Hampshire & Boston Civic Symphony Christmas Pops, the Irish Cultural Centre, Boston Irish Fest, etc.). But the band has had this lineup for a decade, which has allowed them unpressurized time to develop their unique take on Irish traditional music. They have also garnered a loyal following throughout New England, as they frequently appear at Irish sessions and local summer concert series.

2024-25 marks the start of Ishna as a headline project. They recently filmed new videos at the state-of-the-art Studio Lab in Derry NH and are scheduled to record their first studio album in early 2024. Collectively, the band feels that it is time to bring their joyful banter and song to a wider audience, and to a world that is hungry for a sense of community and home.

Ishna’s shows are family-friendly, and appropriate to a wide range of venues, including: clubs, small to midsize Performing Arts Centers, cultural centers, and Irish and folk festivals. They have both an all-season show and an Irish Christmas show.

Ishna also has an Irish Holiday Pops Concert, which is fully orchestrated and ready for performance.