The Script, James Vincent McMorrow, Bobby Womack, Manic Street Preachers and Emeli Sande are among the names who will celebrate the fifth Arthur's Day, joining over 500 free music events and creative showcases in various pubs across the country on Thursday September 26th.

As is usually the case with Arthur's Day, it will be a night filled with surprises as a host of Irish and international acts descend unannounced upon pubs across the country. As well as that, five ticketed shows will take place in venues across Belfast, Dublin, Limerick and Cork. Tickets for these shows will be made available to the public on September 4th, priced at €10.

Meanwhile, other names confirmed at this afternoon's media launch for Arthur's Day are The Original Rudeboys, Girl Band, Bouts and Janelle Monae. Many more will be named in the coming weeks.

"It's a genuine pleasure to be involved", James Vincent McMorrow told us at the launch this afternoon. "I'm Irish, I have no perspective on anyone else, on what it feels like to be British or what it feels like to be French. I think being Irish gives you unique access to the world. Some people can be cynical about it, or sneer at it, but I think it's amazing. We're this small country and I take a huge amount of pride that I get to travel the world and people care. It's opened doors to me."

"It's really lovely to see Guinness realising the power that they have", McMorrow continued. "There's not a lot of money in the arts here anymore, so you need private benefactors. The fact that they do it is fantastic."

Barry Bracken of Bouts

Bouts, who performed four songs at the launch, echoed McMorrow's sentiment.

"The soundcheck was at 9am [this morning], it was like school", joked frontman Barry Bracken. "A bus even picked us up this morning!"

Their homework, it seems, was to have to chat to an assembly of journalists who were all intent on finding out who Bouts were playing with, or on what stage. Bracken, though, exercises restraint and keeps schtum.

"We're looking forward to it, it's just gas that we're evening doing it in the first place!" said lead singer Barry Bracken. "It's an honour, a great platform. They've announced the line-up; Manic Street Preachers, Janelle Monae - it's great."
 

For more information on this year's Arthur's Day celebrations, visit www.guinness.com