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Kingfishr surprise fans with impromptu pub gig

David WilsonBBC News NI
Watch: Kingfishr delight Derry pub-goers with impromptu singalong

An impromptu pub gig by the "hottest thing in Ireland" has been described as an "amazing moment" by the man whose footage of the surprise show has gone viral.

Kingfishr delighted pub goers in Londonderry on Sunday night with a rendition of Killeagh at Peadar O'Donnell's pub in the city centre.

Musician Dougie Breslin, a regular Sunday night performer at the Derry bar, captured the off-the-cuff performance on video ahead of a gig of his own.

"I couldn't believe it. We have been have been playing Peadar's every Sunday night for the past 15 years and were coming up to get ready for our gig at 10:30 – we couldn't get in the door," he said.

News imagePeadar O'Donnell's a smiling man stands in the middle of three women, each are wearing a black tshirt. they are in a pub. The man has short brown hair . the three women each have blond hair, two of them are wearing glasses.Peadar O'Donnell's
Kingfishr's Eddie Keogh posed for photos with pub staff

Limerick indie-folk group Kingfishr - Eddie Keogh, Eoghan 'McGoo' McGrath and Eoin 'Fitz' Fitzgibbon – topped the Irish charts on three separate occasions last year with their hit track, the anthemic, Killeagh.

It first hit top spot last May, returning to number one twice by the end of the year and was 2025's most streamed song on Spotify in Ireland.

Their musical stock has risen quickly - their debut album Halycon was also an Irish chart topper - and along with acts like CMAT, Kneecap, Fontaines DC, are widely regarded as central to an Irish musical renaissance.

News imagePeadar O'Donnell's Two men stand in a pub in front of a long mirror and the bar. They are wearing winter coats. The man on the right has one arm held aloft.Peadar O'Donnell's
House of Guinness actor Anthony Boyle was also in town on Sunday and in the Derry pub

Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme, Breslin said there were rumours the band had been seen in Derry – and in the bar - earlier in the weekend, and that they were in town to film a new song's video.

As he stood outside the crammed pub on Sunday night, Breslin pondered how he would get in, how best to navigate the huge crowd and how he might persuade Kingfishr to perform.

News imagePeadar O'Donnell's A man stands behind the bar in a packed pub as he poura pint. A number of patrons can be seen in the background of the image.Peadar O'Donnell's
The singer tried his hand at pouring a pint

Among Derry's best known live music venues, on any given night Peadar's is home to a host of local performers.

Just as some of the local musicians were finishing up, Breslin added, "we looked through the window and they (Kingfishr) went up to sing".

"So I just stepped inside the door, had to squeeze in and there's about a hundred phones there. It was amazing," he said.

News imageDougie Breslin Two men appear close to camera in a selfie shot. The man on the leftis bald and wear glasses, while the man on the right has short brown hair and is smiling. They are standing in a pub.Dougie Breslin
Dougie says he grabbed a quick selfie to send to his grandson

"You know they are the hottest thing in Ireland at the moment, for them to come to our city and just walk in… they are just so down to earth, he added.

A selfie was grabbed for his grandson – a "huge fan" – Breslin said, adding you just "don't know who is going to come into Peadars".

Indeed, House of Guinness actor Anthony Boyle was also in the Derry pub on Sunday.

Sharing photos on social media of the actor and the band, the pub wrote: "A massive Peadar's welcome to our special visitors tonight"

Kingfishr are due to tour Australia next month before returning to the UK to play a number of shows, including in Belfast, later this year.