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HTTP/2 301 server: nginx date: Tue, 03 Feb 2026 21:50:27 GMT content-type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 location: https://fanningsessions.wordpress.com/2015/09/14/the-session-1987/ x-hacker: Want root? Visit join.a8c.com/hacker and mention this header. host-header: WordPress.com link: ; rel="https://api.w.org/" vary: accept, content-type, cookie x-redirect-by: WordPress x-ac: 3.bom _dca MISS alt-svc: h3=":443"; ma=86400 strict-transport-security: max-age=31536000 server-timing: a8c-cdn, dc;desc=bom, cache;desc=MISS;dur=414.0 HTTP/2 200 server: nginx date: Tue, 03 Feb 2026 21:50:27 GMT content-type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 vary: Accept-Encoding x-hacker: Want root? Visit join.a8c.com/hacker and mention this header. host-header: WordPress.com link: ; rel="https://api.w.org/" vary: accept, content-type, cookie link: ; rel=shortlink content-encoding: gzip x-ac: 1.bom _dca MISS alt-svc: h3=":443"; ma=86400 strict-transport-security: max-age=31536000 server-timing: a8c-cdn, dc;desc=bom, cache;desc=MISS;dur=492.0 The Session (1987-1988) | The Fanning Sessions Archive

The Session (1987-1988)

Wednesday nights at 10.30pm TG4 are airing a 1987 RTE TV series produced by Frontier Films called ‘The Session‘. Recorded before a live audience the series features a mix of American and Irish musicians performing together. Our favourite episode sticks out like a sore thumb – a rock episode featuring 3 sets from Paul Cleary & The Partisans, Light A Big Fire and In Tua Nua. The series is well worth a second viewing (catch it on the TG4 player if you missed it) and we are hoping that TG4 might do some more poking around in the archives, a look at Anything Goes, Borderline or TV GAGA anyone?

Original Series

Season 1: Shot in the summer of 1987, the first programmes to be made in RTE’s spanking new Studio 4.

Programme 1 Bobby Whitlock with John Parr and Steve Cropper
Programme 2 Louis Stewart with Mundell Lowe and Jim Doherty
Programme 3 Donal Lunny with Elvis Costello and Matt Molloy
Programme 4 Philip Donnelly and John Prine
Programme 5 Paul Cleary and the Partisans, In Tua Nua and Light a Big Fire
Programme 6 Nanci Griffith and the Nashville Bluegrass Band

Season 2: Shot over three nights in the Point Theatre in 1988, the opening event in what is now called the 3arena.

Programme 1 Mary Black with The Black Family and Rosie Flores
Programme 2 The Chieftains with Flaco Jimenez and band
Programme 3 Guy Clark with Arcady (featuring a young Sharon Shannon) and Jimmie Dale Gilmore
Programme 4 John Prine with Lyle Lovett and Marty Stuart
Programme 5 Don Everly and the Dead Cowboys with Jack Clement
Programme 6 Joe Ely and Wilko Johnson

TG4 (2015)

Programme 1 – Bobby Whitlock with John Parr and Steve Cropper
Programme 2 – Donal Lunny with Elvis Costello, Matt Molloy and Iarla O lianard.
Programme 3 – Philip Donnelly with John Prine and Bobby Whitlock
Programme 4 – Louis Stewart with Mundell Lowe, Jim Doherty and Honor Heffernan
Programme 5 – Nanci Griffith, Ray Lynam, Peter Rowan, Jerry Douglas, Mark O’Connor and Mary Black
Programme 6 – The Chieftains, Flaco Jimenez and band and The O’Kanes
Programme 7 – Guy Clark, Arcady featuring Sharon Shannon, Francis Black with Sean Keane, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Marty Stewart
Programme 8 – John Prine and Lyle Lovett
Programme 9 – Paul Cleary and the Partisans, In Tua Nua and Light a Big Fire
Programme 10 – Mary Black, The Black Family, Rosie Flores with Flaco Jimenez and Marty Stewart
Programme 11 – Joe Ely and Wilko Johnson
Programme 12 – Jack ‘Cowboy’ Clement, The Dead Cowboys featuring Don Everly, Jim Rooney and Philip Donnelly.

This entry was posted on September 14, 2015 at 11:17 pm and is filed under TV with tags Dave Heffernan, the session. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

8 Responses to “The Session (1987-1988)”

patj Says:
September 16, 2015 at 6:32 pm

Thanks for this – all great stuff….seem to remember RTE broadcasting Billy Bragg (+ others) , from the Olympia I think, back in the 80’s – can anyone shine a light on this ?
John Dundon Says:
September 21, 2015 at 6:04 pm

Can u add CAMPUS ROCK early 80 s RTE series to the wish list especially the ZEN ALLIGATORS session
Marcel Says:
February 1, 2021 at 12:25 am

Didn’t The Pogues and the Dubliners play The Irish Rover in the 1987 Session?
Fanning Sessions Says:
February 1, 2021 at 10:43 pm

Hello Marcel, I suspect that was the Late Late Show https://youtu.be/UWOWPWyC7Eg
Molly Peyman Says:
September 26, 2021 at 3:09 am

We watched the wonderful 1989 The Session with John Prine, Lyle Lovett, and Jimmy Dale Gilmore. The Irish musicians were FANTASTIC. Was it Phil Donnelly who played with Prine and Lovett? I would love to know all their names, especially the one who played with Jimmy Dale Gilmore. Wow!

If anyone knows, please tell me!

Thanks,

Molly
Fanning Sessions Says:
September 29, 2021 at 8:54 pm

Hello Molly, yes that was Philip Donnelly performing with John Prine. The credits for that episode were philip donnelly (guitar), martin nolan (keyboards), rachel peer (bass), tony newman (drums), percy robinson (pedal steel) and marty stuart (mandolin). Unfortunately I don’t know who performed with Jimmie Dale Gilmore. Both performances can be found in this YouTube clip but I suspect that’s what led you here 😉 https://youtu.be/Sy6unDTlRvU
Mark Says:
October 8, 2021 at 2:22 pm

Hi – I would love to see the John Prine one again. Waht a fabulous concert. Aslo – who play Bass on the Nanci Griffiths one?
Fanning Sessions Says:
December 30, 2025 at 5:15 pm

“Pete Cummins’ work with Granny’s Intentions, the Fleadh Cowboys & his solo albums – a major, lasting contribution to Irish music.” https://www.toppermost.co.uk/cummins-pete/