Name: Kitty Cassidy with Helen Hutchinson & Rosie McCarthy
Start: 2025-08-24T14:00:00+01:00
End: 2025-08-24T15:00:00+01:00
Location: Smithfield Square

Poster Fish Promotions presents Kitty Cassidy with Helen Hutchinson & Rosie McCarthy
Celebrating Traveller women's voices in conversation, poetry and song
2-3pm Sunday 24 August
Smithfield Fleadh, Dublin 7
Kitty Cassidy made her name in the traditional music community in Ireland and the UK through field recordings made by Alen MacWeeney in late 1960s. The album Whisht!: Irish Traveller Folktales & Songs - The Cassidys, 1967, featuring a selection of these recordings was later released in 2002. This brought Kitty's voice to a new generation of singers and song collectors where she proved influential with artists such as Lisa O'Neill and Radie Peat.
A collector of songs in her own right, Kitty grew up in a musical family steeped in tradition. Her father, Johnny Cassidy, was a noted storyteller, and her mother had a store of songs and a beautiful voice and often sang in public.
Now 85, she recently performed at Misleor festival of nomadic cultures in 2023 and featured in the RTE documentary Songlines last year.
Kitty will be joined by poet Helen Hutchinson and singer Rosie McCarthy.
Helen Hutchinson is a life long activist and poet . Co-founder of Pavee Point, much of Helen's work reflects the Traveller way of life and the discrimination that her community suffers. It also reflects the resilience of the community as her work gives voice to pride in Traveller identity and also celebrates the Traveller language. Her poetry collection, ‘From The Dirt Lane to the Open Roads’, was published in 2024.
Rosie McCarthy is a young sean-nós singer and actor from West Cork. Combining her Traveller heritage with her love of singing, her beautiful voice has power and a depth of emotion that is striking in someone so young. Rosie also appeared in RTE's Songlines and has performed at Misleor festival of nomadic cultures.
The event takes place from 2-3pm on Sunday 24 August on Smithfield Square as part of the Smithfield Fleadh.
This is a free event but space is limited.