Mayo Musicians Joe Forde & Eric Heneghan Heading to Fitz's Pub Elmhurst & More

Appearing at Irish American Heritage Center, Chief O'Neill's and Gaelic Park!

The Porter House pub in Westport hosts some of Mayo’s finest music talents and has the awards to prove it. Among those artists that keep Westport as one of the most vibrant musical scenes in Ireland are Joe Forde and Eric Heneghan, who have been sponsored by Jim Friel, a Chicago management consultant and Irish pub owner, to visit and play in the US. Thanks to Fitz’s Pub of Elmhurst, IL, they will kick off their 2-week tour of Chicago and New York City playing eight shows starting 17th October 2024. 

Joe and Eric have entertained hundreds, if not thousands, of US visitors in The Porter House, and along the Wild Atlantic Way while teaming up with Corduff Travel who provide an authentic, traditional Irish tour experience of the sites while enjoying music and songs in the comfort of West Mayo Hostelries along the route. Invitations to bring their act to the USA are constant! Now, with the help of their US sponsorship those invitations can be gladly accepted. 

“We at the Porter House are proud to have Joe and Eric representing us overseas, no doubt they will provide a unique cultural entertainment experience to all of their listeners, whether of Irish descent or not” says its proprietor, “Cosy Joe” O’Malley. 

Meet Joe Forde

Joe was raised with his 3 sisters in Corrandulla, Galway in a singing household. Joe recalls his mother loved to sing, and every year or two when the relations would visit from America, singing would be heard through the wee hours. 

As a young lad he frequented “Forde’s” pub in Headford, a live music hotspot throughout the 70s and 80s owned by his uncle Sean. He grew up with the privilege of listening to the likes of such stellar performers as his cousin Gerry Forde (now of Naples, FL) and Brendan Burke. He was 18 when he received much applause after singing at a cousin’s wedding and this led to Joe investing in his first guitar.

Most inspired by Paddy Reilly and Luke Kelly, Joe played as often as he could anywhere that would have him and eventually he would be invited to play Michael Commins of Midwest Radio Annual Concert and enjoy the privilege of sharing the stage with prominent artists such as Seán Keane, Big Tom, Declan Nerney, Philomena Begley, Dolores Keane to name but a few. In 2014 Joe released his first song “The Promise” which was hugely popular on Midwest Radio and many other local stations across Ireland. 

Joe and wife Maureen were raising their family in Galway until the opportunity to purchase Maureen’s childhood Mayo home house presented itself in 2018, and the Forde family came to Mayo. Shortly thereafter, the covid pandemic hit and Joe’s music performance was limited to singing traditional songs and ballads for patients in hospital. Joe recalls, “Once things started opening up, I met Joe O’Malley and asked if he would like me to sing in his pub, and here I am.” 

Oct 17 - Irish American Heritage Center, Chicago
Oct 18 - Irish American Heritage Center, Chicago
Oct 20 - Chief O’Neills, North Elston ave, Chicago
Oct 24 - Gaelic Park, Oak Forest, Chicago, IL
Oct 26 - Paddy Reilly's, New York City
Oct 27 - 11th street bar, New York City
Oct 30 - Paddy Reilly's, New York City
Nov 1 - The Dubliner, Boston 

Eric Heneghan and Joe Forde

Meet Eric Heneghan
Eric Heneghan was born in the Bronx in New York City in the US bicentennial year 1976. Eric’s father, Sheamus Heneghan, had moved to New York in the late 1960s to work construction on the World Trade Centre towers. There he met and married a Galway girl, Catherine, and started a family. In addition to working construction by day, Sheamus Heneghan was a prominent accordian player by night who played in venues all over New York City throughout the 1970s. Sheamus brought his family home to Mayo in 1979 when Eric was 3 years old, and he would grow up watching his father perform most regularly in Matt Molloys and all the Louisburgh pubs. 

Sadly, Sheamus passed in 2021, but today Eric follows in his footsteps and west Mayo pubs continue to enjoy the sound of a Heneghan on the button accordian. 

Eric started playing the button accordian himself at age 8 and credits his music teacher Mary Finn with bringing him along. 

Eric has not returned to New York since Saint Patrick’s Day 2001. He still has family there. “I look forward to inviting my family to see us play and hope to visit the venues my father played as a young man. We look forward to bringing a Mayo sound back into New York,” he said.

The lads will play the following dates with other venues still being confirmed:

You can show your support by ‘Liking’ and ‘Subscribing’ to their YouTube channel: @JoeFordeMusic

For information contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call/text +447809482138