•Two esteemed figures in Irish music of the past few decades, Cathal Hayden and Donal Murphy, will be in town with guitarist/bouzoukist/vocalist Alan G. Murray this month: In addition to performing at The Burren’s Brian O’Donovan Legacy Series on June 9, they’ll be giving workshops at the Irish Pastoral Centre on June 10.

The trio of Cathal Hayden, Donal Murphy, and Alan G. Murray will appear at The Burren's Brian O'Donovan Legacy Series on June 9, and will offer workshops at the Irish Pastoral Centre on June 10.

Hayden and Murphy were founding members of the highly popular, and lovably idiosyncratic, Four Men and a Dog – the first Irish band to win a coveted Folk Roots Best Album award, for their 1991 debut “Barking Mad.” An All-Ireland champion on fiddle and tenor banjo, Hayden – whose father played those same two instruments – has toured with guitarist Seamie O’Dowd and accordionist Mairtin O’Connor and performed with his brother Stephen and guitarist Niall Murphy as the Bow Brothers. Among his many collaborations, Murphy teamed with fiddler Matt Cranitch and guitarist/vocalist Tommy O’Sullivan to form Sliabh Notes and once appeared with Michael Flatley in an open-air performance of “Feet of Flames; he also recorded a solo album, “Tailored,” featuring his children Melanie and Eoin as well as guitarist Steve Cooney. Scots native Murray, who for a while resided in Boston, has recorded and performed with numerous acts, including Solas, Lúnasa, Eileen Ivers, Battlefield Band, We Banjo 3, and FourWinds. Tickets, info on Burren events available at burren.com/music.html

Registration for and details on the Irish Pastoral Center workshop at eventbrite.com/e/boston-irish-music-workshops-cathal-hayden-donal-murphy-alan-murray-tickets-1988338683527

 •Arts Collaborative Medford will host Matt and Shannon Heaton on June 5. The Heatons have been one of the more active and high-profile Celtic music acts in Greater Boston for more than a quarter-century. Shannon is highly regarded for her mastery of flute (she also plays whistle and accordion), whether on pulsating, up-tempo jigs or reels and on slower, more emotive instrumentals – traditional, contemporary or original – and Matt’s astute multi-faceted guitar and bouzouki accompaniment is a perfect counterpart. They also sing, delightfully, centuries-old ballads or more recent works, including their own. See artscollabmedford.org/eventscalendar.

Louise Mulcahy, a prize-winning uilleann pipes performer – and scholar – performs at the Canadian American Club in Watertown on June 6.

 •The Boston Uilleann Pipers Club presents Louise Mulcahy, known for her scholarship as well as her proficiency on uilleann pipes, at Watertown’s Canadian American Club on June 6. Recipient of the 2023 Féile Liam O’ Flynn award, Mulcahy actually started out on whistle and flute before taking up the pipes at age 13. Playing an instrument historically associated with men, Mulcahy became the first, and only, person to win four senior All-Ireland titles in one day. She has also garnered international recognition for her pioneering research on women in uilleann piping, which she shared in the landmark 2021 TG4 documentary “Mná na bPíob (Women of the Pipes).” Go to allevents.in/watertown/louise-mulcahy-uilleann-pipes/200029984808326#.

•The Irish Cultural Centre of Greater Boston’s June 7 concert with Donegal-based four-part harmony group Onóir is already sold out. But on June 27, the ICC hosts “The Voices of Ireland,” featuring an accomplished trio of Irish singer-songwriters, Don Stiffe, Ger O’Donnell and Trevor Sexton. Stiffe, who lived in Boston during the 1990s, is known for compositions like “Missing Galway” and “Grosse Isle” – and particularly “You’ll Always Be My Mother,” inspired by his search for his birth mother – and interpretations of other contemporary songs. He has toured and recorded with Cherish the Ladies (his cover of Dermot Henry’s “Shadow of a Singer and His Song” appears on the band’s “Heart of the Home” album). O’Donnell and Sexton have often appeared as a duo, playing traditional and original material with compelling vocals and multi-instrumental accompaniment: Their album, “The Alchemist’s Stone,” includes their own compositions and a cover of “Bright Blue Rose” by Cork’s Jimmy MacCarthy (author of “Ride On,” “Missing You” and “No Frontiers”) along with renditions of traditional songs like “Dainty Davey,” “Black Is the Colour,” and “The Parting Glass.” Sexton counts Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, and Pete Seeger among his influences, and leans on a storyteller’s style in creating his songs. A music educator, arranger, and composer, O’Donnell started out on classical flute and fife before finding his calling as a crafter of songs – his singles “Turquoise Ink” and “Talk About Heroes” both reached No. 1 in the Irish charts. Sexton and O’Donnell were featured by TG4 in its broadcast of the 2023 Fleadh Cheoil and also have appeared in concert with Cherish the Ladies. For ICC events, go to irishculture.org/events.

•If you wondered whether there could possibly be a Celtic music-World Cup convergence, The Haven – which has proclaimed itself as “the official Scottish Fan Zone” – in Jamaica Plain will be presenting the duo MacDouble from June 10-20. Iain MacGillivray (Highland bagpipes, whistle, accordion, guitar, vocals) and Megan MacKay (fiddle, vocals) perform authentic Highland tunes, traditional Gaelic singing, and “high-energy” arrangements. The Haven’s website is thehavenjp.com.

•Celtic folk-rockers Gaelic Storm come to the Cary Memorial Building in Lexington on June 14. Still often referred to as “that band from ‘Titanic,’” they’ve continued to put the work in, touring far, wide and often, appearing at scads of concert halls and festivals, and releasing seven albums and a DVD – and in the process cultivating a very loyal fan base. They’ve done so with gradual roster changes, to the point where lead vocalist Patrick Murphy is the only original member now; recent arrivals include Boston-area native Natalya Kay on fiddle (2022) and guitarist-vocalist Parker Hastings (2024). One interesting note: In a recent interview, Murphy said the group is working on “what could become its final album.”   See www.caryhalllexington.com/events.

•A cappella close-harmony quartet Windborne will give not one but two concerts at Club Passim this month, on June 19 and 24. Long active in the New England folk and traditional music community, Lynn Mahoney Rowan, Will Thomas Rowan, Lauren Breunig, and Jeremy Carter-Gordon are as much folklorists as folk singers: conversant in the origins of the songs and the cultures from which these emerged. They’re also rooted in the activism and support for movements that uphold the oppressed, the poor, and the disenfranchised. Windborne has become known for its viral videos, notably at Mont Saint Michel in France and cathedrals around the world. The four have appeared regionally in “A Christmas Celtic Sojourn,” and at the Blackstone River Theatre, Caffe Lena, and the Folk Song Society of Greater Boston. Their most recent recording, released last fall, is “To Warm the Winter Hearth,” a book and album of music for midwinter. See passim.org/live-music/events/windborne.

•Somerville’s Luthier Collective, which is among a growing number of “small-hall” venues for folk and traditional music in Greater Boston, will host “Within Sight of Summer” on June 18 — a double bill of fiddler/vocalist Gwen Johnston with guitarist Helen Kuhar and the duo Mrs. Wilberforce. Johnston weaves together tunes and songs from the Celtic, old-time, bluegrass, English, and contemporary folk genres, and has performed in Ireland, England, and New England at venues such as The Cobblestone, The Cornish Bank, and WBUR CitySpace. Her debut album, “Onwards,” recorded in New Bedford and Falmouth (UK), is slated for release this summer. Kuhar specializes in traditional Irish, English, Québécois and New England styles, appearing regularly at area Celtic music sessions and on the contra dance scene. Among Kuhar’s collaborations are the contra dance bands Good Company and Nobody’s Business, and vocal quartet Forsyth. 

Mrs. Wilberforce (Kyra Davies, fiddle, viola, vocals; Sean Smith, guitar, bouzouki, tenor banjo, vocals) has appeared in various settings, including BCMFest, the Passim Summer Series, Boston City Winery, New Bedford Roots and Branches Festival, Gore Place Carriage House Series and the Cherry Street Music Series. Rooted in tradition, they readily, and happily, draw upon influences from the classical and contemporary folk/folk-rock domains, bringing out the distinctive qualities of each tune or song for the enjoyment of their audiences.

For tickets and other details, go to evabroadwaystrings.com/events/2026/6/18/sean-kyra-helen-gwen.