@newstalkfm 'I get so anxious before going on stage. I feel I owe it to Kathleen to present her life story as best as I can.' Imelda May on portraying Kathleen Behan on stage, and when she will be recording again. #ireland #irishtiktok #imeldamay ♬ original sound - Newstalk

Play The Wishing Tree by John McCusker, Michael McGoldrick, and John Doyle.

It’s a Celtic masterpiece—gentle, haunting, and full of soul—that feels like a whispered prayer carried on the wind.

🎻✨ As the title track unfolds, it’s as if the trio has planted a sonic tree rooted in tradition and blooming with emotion. Fiddle, flute, and guitar intertwine like branches swaying in a quiet breeze, each note a leaf shimmering with memory. There’s no rush—just a gentle unfolding, like stories told by firelight or dreams shared beneath ancient skies. It’s music that doesn’t just play—it listens, breathes, and remembers.

🌿 The Wishing Tree is more than a melody—it's the wish of connection between people and nations, a quiet hope for a better tomorrow. In every note, there’s a longing for unity, for healing, and for the kind of peace that grows slowly, like roots beneath the soil.

🎶 🇮🇪 🎭 👠 🌍 🌈 🤝 🧑‍🎤 🏘️ 🧵 🕊️ 🌅 🔊 The Wishing Tree - John McCusker & Michael McGoldrick

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This summer at the 3Olympia Theatre, Dublin’s own Imelda May takes center stage to breathe life into the indomitable spirit of Kathleen Behan, matriarch of one of Ireland’s most famed artistic families.

In Mother Of All The Behans, running until 2 August 2025, history doesn’t just speak—it sings, rebels, and dances through a solo performance that’s equal parts biography and bravura.

🔥 A Woman, A Revolution, A Legacy

Kathleen Behan was never content to sit quietly. In this one-woman show, Imelda May channels her fiery wit, radical politics, and unapologetic candor with electrifying precision. The story unfolds like a pint in a Dublin pub—intimate, funny, and fiercely honest. From street protests to family spats, Kathleen’s voice rises above history, inviting us to listen not just to her story, but to the heartbeat of 20th-century Ireland.

🎶 Music Woven Through Memory

As a celebrated singer herself, Imelda May seamlessly blends song and storytelling in ways that elevate and deepen every moment. The score pulses with Irish ballads, rebel tunes, and haunting melodies that feel like they've been passed down in whispered verses across generations. Music doesn’t interrupt the story—it is the story, filling the theatre with echoes of loss, love, and resistance.

🇮🇪 A Love Letter to Dublin

This production is soaked in Dublin’s spirit. From the cadence of Kathleen’s voice to the anecdotes of laneway politics and kitchen-table wisdom, it’s a tribute to the city’s grit and grace. You don’t just watch this show—you walk its streets through Kathleen’s eyes, feeling the pulse of Liberty Hall, the protests on O’Connell Street, and the laughter in family kitchens.

🎭 One Performer, a Thousand Lives

Imelda May doesn’t simply act—she disappears into character. With subtle gesture and roaring emotion, she pulls audiences through decades of stories, capturing Kathleen as a mother, radical, singer, and survivor. It’s not just theatre—it’s transformation. Each moment feels lived, not rehearsed, as though Kathleen herself has slipped onto the stage and borrowed Imelda’s voice for a night.

🎫 The Story We Didn’t Know We Needed

Mother Of All The Behans is more than a theatrical event—it’s an act of cultural preservation. It celebrates a woman who shaped minds and movements, yet whose story too often lingered in the shadows. With humor, rebellion, and unforgettable humanity, this performance gives Kathleen Behan her spotlight—and Dublin, its soul onstage. 👠✨

#VoiceOfIreland 🎙️ #RebelMatriarch 🔥 #DublinSoul 🇮🇪 #StageWithSpirit 🎭 #ImeldaMayMagic 👠✨