A Night of Music & Memory

A Celebration of the Songs — and the Man Behind Them

More than 800 people gathered in St Mary’s Church to honour the music and ministry of Fr Liam Lawton.

📅 Sunday 24th May 2026 🏛️ St Mary’s Church, Edenderry 🎵 Sold Out · In aid of St Mary’s
St Mary’s Church transformed for the evening, as choir, soloists and orchestra performed beneath the great east window.
St Mary’s Church transformed for the evening, as choir, soloists and orchestra performed beneath the great east window.

Music, memories and community spirit came together at St Mary’s Church, Edenderry, on Sunday night, 24th May, as more than 800 people gathered for an emotional concert celebrating the music and ministry of Fr Liam Lawton.

The sold-out appreciation concert, which also served as a fundraiser for ongoing refurbishment works at St Mary’s Church, brought together artists, musicians, parishioners and friends in what was described as “a celebration of the songs, and of the man behind them.”

Spectacular lighting transformed the church into a place of colour and stillness, while the performances of Fr Liam’s much-loved compositions created a wonderful atmosphere throughout the evening — a remarkable night for both the parish and the wider Edenderry community.

The nave bathed in colour for a concert that filled every seat.
The nave bathed in colour for a concert that filled every seat.
A congregation of more than 800 gathered for the occasion.
A congregation of more than 800 gathered for the occasion.

About Fr Liam

Voice of the Celtic Soul

Fr Liam is regarded as one of Ireland’s most beloved sacred musicians — a Catholic priest whose compositions have found their way into churches, cathedrals and homes across the world. Ordained in 1984, his gift for melody and his deep Celtic spirituality combined to create music of rare and lasting beauty.

His breakthrough album, The Cloud’s Veil (1999), established him as a major voice in liturgical music, with its title song becoming a standard far beyond Ireland’s shores. Albums such as Another World, In the Quiet, Lumina and Voices of Angels followed, each drawing on ancient Celtic prayer and the Irish tradition.

The Cloud’s Veil in particular has become a hymn of consolation sung at memorials and funerals around the world — including in the United States in the years following the tragedy of September 11th — a measure of just how deeply Fr Liam’s music has reached into people’s lives.

Strings, flute and guitar wove through the evening’s sacred repertoire.
Strings, flute and guitar wove through the evening’s sacred repertoire.

His voice has a beauty of its own — gentle, ethereal and full of pathos. It soothes the soul and brings healing to the hurting heart.

Friends & Fellow Artists

Performed by Those His Songs Have Touched

The concert featured a number of performers closely associated with Fr Liam and his music over many years. Among the highlights of the evening were performances by Daniel O’Donnell, a talented choir from Carlow, Fr Liam’s brothers, and Dublin-native soprano, singer and choir director Hannah Evans.

Ms Evans had previously helped organise a Fr Liam Lawton appreciation concert held earlier this year in Maynooth, which similarly brought together many musicians and singers associated with the Edenderry priest. Throughout the evening, the audience was treated to some of his best-known liturgical and inspirational works — music rooted in ancient Celtic prayer and the Irish tradition.

A soloist during one of the evening’s most memorable moments.
A soloist during one of the evening’s most memorable moments.
Sacred song beneath the arches of St Mary’s.
Sacred song beneath the arches of St Mary’s.
Fellow musicians lent their voices and instruments to the night.
Fellow musicians lent their voices and instruments to the night.

A Moving Finale

The night finished with a deeply moving performance of “In the Quiet” by Fr Liam’s brother, Tom Lawton, which many described as one of the most emotional moments of the evening. The whole night was filled with joy, music, reflection, faith and celebration, and will surely remain a talking point for many months to come.

An audience held rapt by music and memory.
An audience held rapt by music and memory.
Soloist and choir in full voice.
Soloist and choir in full voice.

Gallery

Scenes From the Evening

Words of welcome and thanks during the evening.
Words of welcome and thanks during the evening.
An address to the gathering. [CONFIRM NAME / TITLE]
An address to the gathering. [CONFIRM NAME / TITLE]
The evening’s hosts.
The evening’s hosts.
Performers gathered on the sanctuary stage.
Performers gathered on the sanctuary stage.
A full house at St Mary’s.
A full house at St Mary’s.
[ADD NAMES] pictured at the concert.
[ADD NAMES] pictured at the concert.
Musicians and friends with Fr Liam Lawton. [CONFIRM NAMES]
Musicians and friends with Fr Liam Lawton. [CONFIRM NAMES]

❦   ❧

At a time when Fr Liam faces serious illness, the outpouring of love, prayer and gratitude from those whose lives his music has touched has been profound. Sunday’s gathering was, above all, a way for the community to show its support and appreciation for a priest whose songs have accompanied so many in moments of joy and of sorrow.

As well as celebrating Fr Liam’s musical legacy, the evening will support the continuing refurbishment of St Mary’s Church. Sincere congratulations and heartfelt thanks are extended to everyone who helped organise and take part in such a memorable occasion.