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Michigan Irish Music Festival 2026: A Visit from Seamus Kennedy and Tom Schaub

Blue Lake Public Radio | By Foley Schuler
Published September 9, 2026 at 5:17 PM EDT

Foley recently hosted legendary Irish troubadour and MIMF mainstay Seamus Kennedy and the Festival's Music Director, Tom Schaub, for a special Festival preview and performance. Listen on demand here!

0:00 Greetings and Introductions
2:16 "We're a 100% volunteer orgranization."
3:44 Seamus Kennedy, "if not the backbone—at least the tibia" of the Michigan Irish Music Festival
4:51 Growing up in Belfast/The Troubles
7:24 Discovering music
9:34 Ireland—land of poets, bards and singers
10:34 Coming to America
11:38 Getting into "The Irish Folk Business"
12:25 Early influences—Clancy Brothers, Tommy Makem et al.
13:51 SEAMUS SINGS: "The Irish Rover"
16:52 27 years of the Michigan Irish Music Festival—Tom Schaub on Andy Irvine, Altan and Solas and other 2026 festival highlights
23:37 A Saturday afternoon tradition not to be missed: The "Tionól"
25:26 Ticket info and the MIMF app/our sponsors
28:11 Pub Preview Party
30:24 Seamus at the Pub Tent
31:23 SEAMUS SINGS: "I Know a Song That Gets on Everybody's Nerves"
34:12 New this year: "City of the Dead" comes to the Michigan Irish Music Festival
37:10 SEAMUS SINGS: "Finnegan's Wake"
Foley Schuler
Encouraged by creative parents, Foley began his music career at age 7, studying violin with Jean Manning at North Muskegon Public Schools. As a Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp camper, he became Blue Lake Public Radio’s first high school intern. Foley earned an English Literature degree from Hope College, and Masters in Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from the Warren Wilson College. He has performed with the West Michigan (formerly West Shore) Symphony; served on the English Department faculty at Muskegon Community College, and been the Music, Art & Theatre reviewer for the Muskegon Chronicle. He follows his love of the arts around the globe, but says, “There is no place like the Blue Lake setting, sharing extraordinary music with our listeners.” Foley hosts Blue Lake Public Radio’s weekday classical music from 1 to 4 p.m. and “Sunday on Blue Lake”.
See stories by Foley Schuler