Kildare band's homecoming concert was picture perfect
Picture This enjoyed a special homecoming in the former Dreamland Ballroom Photos: Aisling Hyland
PICTURE This received a hero’s welcome back in their hometown on Friday night, where they put on a crowd-pleasing show in the Dreamland Ballroom.
Frontman Ryan Hennessy appeared emotional yet energised by the intimate nature of the event and belted out several favourites such as , and in front of a crowd of around 600.
Present were many family members of the band, which emphasised the 'homecoming' nature of the gig for the local lads.
The band’s performance felt like a fitting way to mark the Brigid 2026 festival, with their popularity both locally and on a wider level representing an authentic Kildare success story. At a venue that has played host to icons such as Johnny Cash and Thin Lizzy in the past, the Athy band lived up to the hype and filled the venue with their heartfelt tunes.
The set began with an uber-energetic rendition of the catchy from their latest album , but it felt as though the band really got going with second song from their pandemic-era record . The reflective and melancholic was another highlight from the early part of the show.
The similarly thoughtful and were other stand-out moments from the middle and latter parts of the show, before the nostalgic received a particularly enthusiastic response from the crowd towards the end. It briefly appeared as though that might be the last song before offered a fittingly upbeat end to the set.
That the band sold-out venues around the country for their ‘Home for Christmas’ gigs late last year reflected their enduring popularity, and this performance in Athy showed the mutual love that exists between them and their hometown.
It’s now been more than 10 years since the Athy band exploded on scene. That there was a notable mix of young and old present in the crowd an indication of the timeless nature of their appeal, and it’s easy to imagine them receiving a similarly rapturous welcome back home here in another 10 years’ time.
