The Hacklers
Sat 02 Aug 2025 (note: this event has already taken place)
6:30pm
FREE
Saturday 27th July 6.30pm Free entry
The Hacklers:
Kevin Kenny (vocals)
Carl O’Neill (sax)
Keith Gantley (drums)
Cormac Gillespie (organ)
Mark Conway (guitar)
Conan Gijbels (bass)
A group of seasoned musicians came together to form The Hacklers. Influenced by the sound of The Specials, Bad Manners, Stiff Little Fingers and Bob Marley, they played their first gig in 2015, quickly built a strong live reputation in Ireland and after a set on the east German This Is Ska stage, they never looked back. The Hacklers have since then played numerous festivals in the UK and on the European mainland, such as Brutus Oi Festival in Camden, Ruhrpott Ska Explosion and Ska Im Westend in Dortmund, Kippertronix in Snowdonia, Wales, Punk Meets Off-beat in Winterthur, Switzerland, Oi! For You Fest in Magdenburg, Spirit from the Street Fest and Berlin Ska City Festival.
They shared the stage with bands like The Beat, The Aggrolites, Bad Manners, Mark Foggo and The Selecter, just to name a few. Wherever they played they brought passion
and fire to the stage, and got crowds dancing, racking up an ever growing fan base. By now The Hacklers had developed their own distinguished sound, a mix of ska and skinhead reggae but with their own unique ‘extra stout’ Irish flavour.
Their debut album Between The Lines was released on Contra Records in October 2015. Between touring and gigging, they also joined forces with other bands to contribute to 3 of the Specialized Projects, which raises funds to improve the lives of teens and young adults with cancer or who are living in difficult circumstances. They did Stop The Train for the Bob Marley Tribute release, 3 Card Trick for the Combat Cancer, a Tribute to The Clash and reworked the Desmond Dekker song Dracula for the Tribute to Original Sounds of Ska.
The death of their brother and guitar player Bob just one day after finishing recording their second album Another Round in December 2019 was a massive blow in the gut for the guys. After taking some time and talking to friends and family, they decided to team up with Smith & Miller Records and release the album in june 2020. And even though someone else will have to play that guitar now, Bob will never be forgotten, and his spirit will forever linger in The Hacklers’ sound. Although they never stopped playing shows, they had a few line up changes in the next couples of years. The final puzzle was layed in 2023. The Hacklers are ready to write a new chapter to their story..
