An intimate In-The-Round performance featuring
FRANCIE CONWAY, DOCTOR MILLAR, VINCENT CROSS & TOM PORTMAN
Whelan’s Upstairs • Tue 14th July 2026
We are delighted to present 2 hours of original songs in this intimate In-The-Round performance featuring some of Ireland’s most lauded singer-songwriters performing their works and sharing the stories behind them.
FRANCIE CONWAY
‘A Drop Of Irish Rain’
“Loved It” – Kris Kristofferson 2012
A founding member of the original Rock School in Ballyfermot.
Song writing coach for artists including Damien Dempsey, Mundy, Wallis Bird, Lisa O’Neill, Fiach Moriarty, Mark Dignam, Mickey Harte, Lucy Blue, Junior Brother and many more.
Francie’s recording career started with RCA Records in London where members from The Zombies, Argent, Pink Floyd and The Kinks joined in the recordings. Notable tracks include ‘Something I Heard’, ‘Do You Want To Make Love’, ‘Today More Than Ever’, ‘To The Edge Of Time’ and ‘One Night In Amsterdam’.
Among Francie’s burgeoning list of notable live appearances is the Paleo Festival Nyon, Switzerland, with its attendance of 25,000, well above the 4,000 expected by Swiss, French and German TV covering the event. He has stories…
Many artists have recorded Francie’s songs including Stevie Wright, Dolores Keane, The Fureys, Ronnie Drew of The Dubliners, Christy Dignam and Finbar Furey to name a few.
In 2009 Francie recorded with producer David Richards (Queen, David Bowie) in the legendary “Mountain Studio”, in Montreux, Switzerland.
FRANCIE CONWAY’S PEACE LOVE & ROCK’N’ROLL will release their new album ‘It’s Not Rocket Science’ at the end of August 2026.
DOCTOR MILLAR
“Ireland’s Greatest Songwriter” – Hotpress Magazine
Doctor Millar (AKA Seán Millar) is something of a legend. A musician, writer and global award winning theatre composer; he is regarded as the quintessential, musician’s musician of Ireland, but not in the dismissive way that term can be thrown about sometimes. Millar is genuinely revered by audiences and fellow musicians for his deep song writing skill.
Jack Lukeman, Gavin Friday and Tom Dunne amongst others have sung Seán Millar songs.
Paolo Nutini selected his song ‘These Days’ from ‘The Bitter Lie’ as part of ‘The Track That Changed My Life’. Hot Press 2022.
From 80’s post-punk iconoclast to the folksy balladeer of the ’90s and the critically lauded music theatre composer of the 2K’s, Millar has been a storyteller uniquely capable of exposing the gritty underbelly of a subject to the light.
Scratch the surface of a Doctor Millar song, and one will absolutely find light, in the shape of characters fighting their way, valiantly toward the fresh air at the surface of complicated lives.
In 2026, he released his 6th solo studio album, a five disc masterpiece titled ‘I Am Vermin’.
“Real music happens in space and time. Once you started faking that or affecting it, it loses something.” Seán Millar.
VINCENT CROSS
Website | Instagram | Linktree
“Impeccably gifted” (Big City Rhythm & Blues)
Vincent Cross is a singer-songwriter who blends traditional Irish folk, contemporary Americana, and bluegrass. Born in Ireland and raised in Australia, he now calls New York City home.
Cross returns with his fifth full-length album, “A Place Where Songs Come to Live,” – Rescue Dog Records. Anchored by the deeply intimate single “In the Eyes of My Father”— a finalist in the International Acoustic Music Awards. The album debuted as a Top 10 on the Folk DJ Charts. Americana Highways called it “soul-stirring… filled with values, memories, and the relationships that shape us.”
In summer 2025, Cross completed a 22-date solo tour of Australia with performances from Sydney to Alice Springs. He has also appeared at major festivals worldwide, including in Norway, Scotland, England and across the USA.
TOM PORTMAN
“If it has strings, Portman can play them. Not only play them but bend them, scratch them, shape ’em and mould them into a collage of beauty…’ ‘a melting pot of Americana, Irish trad, world and the magical.” CARL CORCORAN Presenter, RTE, Blue of the Night.
Tom Portman is a musician and songwriter celebrated for his versatility across genres. He has released seven solo albums and toured internationally.
Portman holds a First Class Honours Master’s degree in Songwriting from the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick and is a skilled multi-instrumentalist, proficient in guitar, dobro, and violin. Recently, he collaborated with harmonica virtuoso Maciej Zavorenk.
Portman’s work embraces a diverse array of styles, such as blues, jazz, folk, classical, and Indian-inspired music, showcasing his artistic depth. Recognized for his contributions to the arts, he is a grant recipient from the Galway County Arts Office and Music Network Ireland, and he proudly holds artist deals with both Duesenberg Guitars and National Guitars.
TICKETS
€25 available online from Whelan’s – 50c per ticket service charge applies.
Strictly over 18′s, I.D. may be required
AFTER THE GIG
Whelan’s Silent Disco from 10:30pm – 2 DJs, just pick the one you like best (€5 cover charge), plus Late Bar