Macdara Yeates

Macdara Yeates (‘Dara’ for short) is a traditional folk singer from Dublin, Ireland.

Described by the Irish Music Magazine as “a deep and powerful performer”, Macdara is known for his booming baritone renditions of Irish folk songs, ranging from traditional ‘big’ songs, songs of Dublin dock workers, and lesser-known ballads from his native inner-city Dublin.

Born and raised in the Irish capital, Macdara is one of a crop of singers associated with the recent resurgence of young singing talent in the city along with acts such as Lankum, Landless and Ye Vagabonds. Macdara has toured and performed extensively throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and North America with acclaimed folk ensemble Skipper’s Alley, as well as at singing festivals such as Whitby Folk Week (ENG), The Frank Harte Festival (IRE) and FifeSing (SCO) and more. Macdara is also a founding member of The Night Before Larry Got Stretched, a monthly gathering and song collective dedicated to the dissemination of traditional singing among young people.

Macdara’s recent work includes: My Father’s Kind, a collaboration of traditional Irish music and poetry with poet and novelist Dermot Bolger; Sing a Song of Docklands, a songwriting and community outreach project celebrating the work of Dublin’s dock workers; and The Megaphone Project, a pop-up performance series arming folk singers with a soapbox and megaphone to reintroduce the lost art of street singing back into the modern cityscape.

In 2021, Macdara was awarded a residency at the Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris.