Now in its 27th season of touring nationally, Tomáseen Foley’s A Celtic Christmas recreates the joy and innocence of a night before Christmas in a remote farmhouse in his native parish of Teampall an Ghleanntáin in the west of Ireland – in the 1950s . . . when the neighboring families gather around the fire to grace the wintry night with traditional Irish Christmas carols . . . to raise the rafters with the joy of their music . . . to knock sparks off the flagstone floor with traditional dances - and, of course, stories – they filled the night with the laughter of their stories.
VIDEO PREVIEWS     PHOTO GALLERY        TICKETS        PAST VENUE LIST
PRESENTERS
Press kit, posters, tech rider, performer photos & more
TOUR INFO
Up-to-date tour dates and venues
BIOGRAPHIES
Learn more about our performers
HISTORY
​Growing up in rural Ireland and a history of A Celtic Christmas
BOOKING & CONTACT
Book our show in your theater or contact us for more info
CDs
A Celtic Christmas CD and more

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
“2000 seats sold out!”

WEIDNER CENTER FOR THE ARTS, GREEN BAY, WI

Title
/
Company

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
“ . . . charmed a sold-out house at the Lied Center for the Performing Arts.” 

​​LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR, LINCOLN, NE

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
“A very large audience turned out and sat rapt for A Celtic Christmas, 2½ hours of jigs, reels and wordsmithing.”

THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER, SPRINGFIELD, IL

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
“We had to move the performance to a venue with twice as many seats . . . the mix of stories, music and dance was perfect.”

ROCKPORT OPERA HOUSE, ME

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
“The most popular performance this year.”

​MELLON ART CENTER, WALLINGFORD, CT

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
“Like a pint of Guinness, Tomáseen Foley’s “A Celtic Christmas” is going down rich and smooth with . . . another packed house . . . at the Keith-Albee Performing Art Center.”

​THE HERALD-DISPATCH, HUNTINGDON, WV

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
“A rousing success . . . a magnificent performance.”

​WEST VALLEY FINE ARTS, LITCHFIELD PARK, AZ

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
“1,800 Lied patrons joined the stage musicians for ‘Silent Night’ to close Foley’s warm, intimate and personal look at Irish history and culture.”

​THE LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
​“What a terrific program! The audience was completely charmed and captivated…wonderful storytelling…the best I have ever heard.”

​THE SOCIETY FOR THE FOUR ARTS, PALM BEACH, FL

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
“In the tradition of great Irish storytellers…Tomáseen Foley is a master of the Irish narrative and a keeper of the flame for a priceless piece of Irish culture.”

​TOM HORAN, REGO IRISH RECORDS

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
“Like a cup of Irish coffee in a neighbor’s kitchen on a dark night, it was warm, comforting and full of cheer.”

​JUSTINE SUTTON, SANTA BARBARA NOOZHAWK

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
“Move over, Garrison Keillor. As a presenter of the performing arts who’s always looking for a sure bet, I assure Tomáseen delivers. He deserves a world stage.”

​CRATERIAN GINGER ROGERS THEATER, MEDFORD, OR

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
“…a masterful weaver of a good tale… One of the great charms of the evening was Tomáseen’s skill in relating a story…a gentle and easy humor made his tales fascinating and eminently human.” 

​PALM BEACH DAILY NEWS, PALM BEACH, FL

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
"...people told me that they LOVED it, that it was just what a Christmas show should be, that it fit in beautifully with our Arts Series and that we should have you back every year!”

​ARLENE SHAW, HOUSE MANAGER, OLIN FINE ARTS CENTER

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
“I want to thank you for an absolutely terrific show! We have not had such a large crowd since the Juilliard String quartet six years ago. You are all sooo talented.”

JANE CARTAGE

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
“You’ll love his warm-hearted, poignant stories of life in the homeland.”

​MIKE STURGILL, BRITT FESTIVAL, JACKSONVILLE, OR

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
“A good storyteller . . . can carry (his) audience to another time and place. It’s an art—and a gift—and Tomáseen Foley has it in spades."

​THE SANTA BARBARA INDEPENDENT

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
“In between musical presentations by five wondrously talented guest artists, storyteller and Ireland native Tomáseen Foley regaled the sold-out crowd of "good people of Cleveland, Ohio" with poetry, tales and jokes, evoking a quiet evening spent sitting around the hearth."

​THE CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
“Foley runs pictures and thoughts across the mind like shooting stars on a crystalline night, with emotions shaking the ground.”

​THE GREEN BAY PRESS GAZETTE, GREEN BAY, WI

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
“Tomáseen Foley brings to his audience a mastery of the oral tradition that has marked the Irish spirit for generations.”

ROBERT CASEBEER, PROF. EMERITUS, SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSITY

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
​“His warm voice wraps you with vivid imagery and stealthy Irish humor.”

​DIRTY LINEN MAGAZINE

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
​“With dramatic impact, Foley brought his tales to a fitting close. He has captured the charm of the wit and wisdom inherent in a locality where people lived within the shelter of their neighbours.” 

​PAUL KEATING, THE IRISH VOICE, NEW YORK CITY, NY

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
“Tomáseen Foley has made it nationally - and internationally - with his warm-hearted “A Celtic Christmas.”

RICHARD MOESCHL, MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD, OR

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
​“Great storytelling swept up more than 1,000 listeners . . . "A Celtic Christmas" received a standing ovation at the end. Some people may have been standing to reach for a tissue . . . it was heart tugging."

​GREEN BAY PRESS GAZETTE

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
​“Foley had people rapt and delighted . . . he has an engaging manner, a lightness of wit and a silver-tongued way of unwinding a tale.”

GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, GREEN BAY, WI

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
“He’s a spell-binding storyteller.” 

ROBERT MILLER, ASHLAND DAILY TIDINGS, ASHLAND, OR

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 0
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
VIDEO PREVIEWS
​Please view our complete video collection on YouTube.
PHOTO GALLERY
WEBSITE DESIGN by BRIGID KRANE of ARTISTS ELEVEN, LLC