The Mary Wallopers will perform at Bergenfest on Saturday, June 13, 2026.
“Isn’t there hope for the country with The Mary Wallopers in it?” asked Irish comedian Tommy Tiernan. It’s easy to see why.
When the band played Bergenfest in 2023, they brought Magic Mirrors to life. Raw ballads, political tirades, sheer musical joy and drinking songs. Later the same day, they showed up at the BT tent to talk about both the music and the band’s name. “For a long time we thought we were just named after a boat from our hometown,” said one of the seven members, “until we discovered the boat itself was named after a sex worker.” It says a lot about the humour and self-irony that also runs through their live shows.
Brothers Charles and Andrew Hendy and their friend Sean McKenna started The Mary Wallopers as a ballad trio, and have since grown into a seven-piece band. They’ve packed venues across Ireland and the UK, played sold-out nights at Dublin’s Vicar Street and toured Europe. The core remains the same: traditional Irish folk music without any reverence. It’s political, physical, funny and often gloriously unrestrained.
Now returning to Bergenfest, The Mary Wallopers do so in a bigger format, but with the same untamed energy as last time. Those who were there in 2023 know what’s coming. Those who weren’t finally get their chance now.