We are in double digits!!! Willowbrook Whispers number TEN is here.

For our tenth show we have A true celtic warrior woman, the magnificent Clare Sands. Support on the night will be announced in advance of the show.

Clare Sands is a sixth generation fiddle player and bilingual singer from Cork, Ireland. Drawing deeply from the music of her ancestors, she weaves Traditional Irish roots with Contemporary sounds and influences. Embodying a fearless warrior-like spirit, her songs are deeply connected to place and where folklore, language, and activism meet melody. As well as representing Ireland on global music stages, Clare is a cross-continental swimmer and black belt, with several world medals to her name!

Born and raised in Cork but with deep family roots in Co.Wexford and the North of Ireland, Sands took up the fiddle at the age of three, learning Irish traditional tunes from her father on a weekly basis, while her mother Susan introduced her to the Blues. After school, Clare went on to study Music & Italian in UCC, and a Masters in Composition & Creative Practice at the Irish World Academy. While at university, Clare developed her skills as a bilingual songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, playing ten + instruments!

Her eponymous album secured a place among the Irish Times ‘Top 5 Folk Albums of 2022’ and earned Sands a Best Folk Singer nomination at the Irish Folk Awards. Other notable projects include the ‘hypnotic and tribal’ (BBC Radio 2) Tírdhreacha agus Fuaimdhreacha (Landscapes and Soundscapes) EP, comprising four songs written and recorded across the four seasons in the four provinces of Ireland and Gormacha, a musical odyssey that treads a path between the Irish language, folklore and our natural world.

Sands’ passion for collaboration has led her to work with some of Ireland’s finest musicians, including Hothouse Flowers, Paul Brady, Susan O’Neill, Niamh Regan, Sharon Shannon, Mary Coughlan and more.

Her innovative musical creations are matched by electrifying live performances – Clare
brings her audiences on an exhilarating journey full of hope, celebration and heart.
Recent festival appearances include Glastonbury, Cambridge Folk Festival (UK),
Fête De la Musique (FR), Festival Cervantino (MEX) and Port Fairy Folk Festival (AUS).

With a new album being released in Autumn 2026, Clare is showing no signs of slowing down. She stands as a testament to the enduring power of music to unite and inspire – a troubadour for the modern age, whose melodies resonate across generations and
cultures alike.

Tickets to the show are:

€20 + BF  – General admission

€70 + BF  – Show + Accommodation for Friday night (min. 2 ticket purchase required)

€35 + BF  – Show and camping for Friday night. (Per person, not per camping pitch – one ticket per person attending the show and camping)

€25 on the door if the event does not sell out

3 Concert Series tickets:

We also have a discounted ticket available which covers all 3 of the Willowbrook Whispers shows this spring:

Kit James + Support TBA – Friday 24th April

Clare Sands + Support TBA – Saturday 16th May

Áine Tyrrell + Support TBA – Friday 19th June

€50 + BF for all 3 shows

Please note this is an unlicensed event and there will be no bar in operation during the show. Patrons are advised to bring their own alcohol or soft drinks, should they wish to have a drink at the show. This show will be recorded with a short video being uploaded to Youtube.

Tickets are transferrable but non-refundable. Thank you for supporting grassroots music in the west of Ireland.