Conor McGinty gearing up for ‘Echoes of Ireland’ in Millennium

It is evident Derry’s Conor McGinty has reached a place of professional contentment as he finalises his new stage show and album.

His creative juices are flowing as he and a veritable army of homegrown talent prepare for the Millennium Forum curtains-up on ‘Echoes of Ireland’ on Sunday, June 28. 

Speaking to The Derry News, Conor described ‘Echoes of Ireland’ as “concert interspersed with dramatic interludes”.

“The staging will essentially be, imagine your granny’s front living room, with me playing the part of a man from Derry who has family all over Ireland. His great grandparents were in Limerick and his grandparents were in Dublin and they were all involved in the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin,” said Conor. 

“So, onstage for ‘Echoes of Ireland’ there will be a box of letters beside me, with each one telling a different story from his great grandparents and grandparents about what they experienced in Dublin in 1916,” he added. 

“The letters will be narrating the concert. I will be reading the letters, not word for word, but I will be telling the story contained in each letter to the audience.

“Without giving too much away, ‘Echoes of Ireland’ also contains a faith element as well, which is brought out through songs like how Great Thou Art and Our Lady of Knock.

'Echoes of Ireland' coming to Millennium Forum in June.

“You also have this whole struggle of oppression and fighting back  - the mothers and fathers and sons that were involved. I have titled letter four ‘The Spark’ and in it his great grandfather writes less about cattle and more about meetings after dark.

“He writes about Dublin, a city seen he has barely seen, as if it was the promised land. He writes again and again in the letters about ‘freedom’ and after that I will go straight into the song Only Our Rivers Run Free, written by Mickey McConnell, and Meet Me At the Pillar, which is about Pádraig Pearse,” said Conor, who will have a live band performing on stage with him on the night.

“The band will be under the musical direction of Eamon Karran (piano). We will have Ramon Ferguson on guitar; Paddy Nixon on bass, guitar and whistle; Isobel Caldwell on harp, guitar and backing vocals; Stephen Caldwell on drums; and Erin Carlin and Monica Nixon on backing vocals,” said Conor, who added there would be 25 songs in ‘Echoes of Ireland’ on the night.

The idea for the ‘Echoes of Ireland’ show came to Conor when he was putting together the new album which he is hoping to have ready for the night of the show. 

“Echoes of Ireland’ has been running around in my brain for the last year. I would be a big reader. I love reading about Irish history. I read a lot of Harlan Coben novels  - mystery and thriller novels - so that is probably where I get all my drama from,” said Conor, who is exploring the possibility of including a spoken word element from ‘Echoes of Ireland’ on the new album.

Still gigging around various city venues at the weekend, Conor admitted preparing for  ‘Echoes of Ireland’ was going to take up most of his time in the New Year.

“I have to say, I am very content. Back in the X-Factor days I was chasing possibilities a lot of the time,” he added, “but now, if I want to do something, I just put together a show, produce my own stuff.

“And there is plenty of talent in Derry, you only have to look at the ‘Back Home in Derry’ show Marty Healy is putting on in the Millennium on January 8, 2026. You have Shaun McCafferty, Ciara McCafferty, Tommy Quigley, Declan McLaughlin, and Ciaran Carlin and Ramon Ferguson in the band,” said Conor.

Derry songwriter pens ballad for Gaza Ground Aid charity

‘A Father’s Dream (Free Palestine)’ tells the story of a Father forced to take action in a seemingly hopeless situation

Smart Pass Equality Campaign stages a ‘Half Fare Unfair’ protest at Derry depot

SPEC established to get the half fares people with disabilities pay on public transport abolished

Smiling he added: “The stage setup of ‘Echoes of Ireland’ will be a little bit special as well. 

“It will, hopefully, create a homely ambience. It will be as if the audience has been transported to their granny’s front living room and is listening to family stories. We will have the Sacred Heart picture and the fireplace and all the instruments lying about on the carpet and the sofa.”

Tickets for Echos of Ireland cost £22.50 and are available from the Millennium Forum box office and https://millenniumforum.co.uk/whats-on/conor-mcginty-echoes-of-ireland.