Bands and Dancers

Hogan Irish Dance Academy is traditional Irish Dance for well-rounded kids. We build a foundation for excellent young people through our 360° approach to Irish dance, including dance technique, athletic strength, team dance, stage performance and community outreach.

Jimmy’s accomplishments are far reaching. He has achieved astonishing and unprecedented success in competitive playing, having won five consecutive All-Ireland titles on the piano accordion. He has always been an avid collector and arranger of old tunes and is becoming increasingly known for his original compositions, many of which have become part of the mainstream of traditional Irish music around the world.

This summer, dancers from the most well-known Irish dance program, the Trinity Irish Dancers, will leap onto stages throughout Wisconsin and the Chicago metropolitan area.   The unprecedented 14 time world champions of Irish dance, currently celebrating their 30th anniversary, will thrill audiences with their unique showmanship.  While Trinity’s most advanced dancers “lay down the thunder”, showcasing heart-thumping acapella hard shoe numbers with feet that move with both precision and mind-boggling speed, their youngest dancers will melt hearts as they perform traditional Irish jigs.  Dancers range in age from 4 to 19 and from beginners to world champions.

Sean and Tommy grew up in the American Midwest, listening to the records of the great music groups of the 1960s folk revival: The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, The Dubliners, The Kingston Trio, and Peter, Paul and Mary, to name a few. With good friends and expert musicians Al, Roger, Dan, and Jacques on board, our band celebrates the spirit of the Irish diaspora in America. High-energy play, three-part harmonies, and a great sense of fun are all signatures of our style. So grab a pint, join us for some tunes, and wonder how in heaven's name these gentlemen are One of the Girls!

Exit 147 began as a simple idea during a dinner in 2007. Jim and Matt had played together in a band that had recently split up. Jim somehow managed to talk Matt into moving from behind the drums to the front of the stage as a lead vocalist. Jim and Matt then approached Mike and TJ, whom they had played with before, about joining the band, Both Mike and TJ agreed to give it a shot. Jim moved from bass to lead guitar and Mike took over on bass.

Exit 147 is now rocking out local bars, parties, and festivals, and quickly gaining fans from their fun, fan inclusive shows. With their song catalog including some of the most popular songs from the 60’s—current hits, you will be singing along before you know it.

The Pipes and Drums of the Chicago Highlanders were established in 1921 and are one of the oldest continuous pipe and drum corps in the United States. The Chicago Highlanders strive to maintain the rich traditions of Scottish piping and drumming and are led in parades by Drum Major Chris Bjorkman.

From humble beginnings in Naperville Illinois, the McNulty School of Irish Dance has grown into one of the largest, most active dance schools in the Midwest.  We offer Irish dance lessons throughout the Chicago suburban area, in Bloomington, and Rockford Illinois, Dubuque Iowa and Twin Lakes Wisconsin.

Our program is designed to challenge each dancer to achieve his or her personal best - both on and off the dance floor.  Students develop concentration skills, coordination, and self-confidence that serve them well in all facets of life.  Whether you have ambitions to compete in Irish dance, perform publicly, or simply to dance for the fun of it, we will help you reach your goals.

The School was founded in 2003 by Chicago-bred and internationally acclaimed Irish fiddler Sean Cleland. As a young Irish-American determined to play traditional Irish music, Sean made repeated trips to Ireland. Back at home, he immersed himself in the vibrant Chicago Irish Music community, literally sitting at the feet of the mostly immigrant Irish musicians.

Mulligan Stew has been a fixture in the Irish/Celtic Music Scene in Chicago since 1978. They got their start playing in several nostalgic locations such as Durty Dicks, Kilkenny Castle Inn, Glenshesk Public House, O’Sullivans, Callahans, Irish Mill Inn & Irish Eyes. More recently you will have seen them playing at  many local venues like Abbey Pub, Andys, Claddagh Pub, Curragh, Moher, Celtic Knot, Bridie McKennas, Johnny O’Hagens, Carraig Pub at Gaelic Park, Fifth Province Pub at Irish American Heritage Center and many others as well as Chicago Irish Fest, Gaelic Park Irish Festival and Milwaukee Irish Fest.

Mike and Joe is a modern rock cover band widely regarded by its peers and the industry as one of the very best sounding cover bands in the nation.  The set list is a smile inducing mix of rock-pop songs from the 90’s, 2000’s, and 2010’s with a proven audience pleasing track record.

Some of the artists Mike and Joe cover are:  The Foo Fighters, Maroon 5, Fallout Boy, U2, Blink 182, Mumford and Sons, Sublime, Ed Sheeran, Dave Matthews Band, Florida Georgia Line, Fun, Third Eye Blind, Jimmy Eat World and many, many more!