St. Patrick’s Day will come a week early this year, when Jim Barnes, Balladeer and The None Of Us Is Irish Irish Band visit Franklin Opera House on Saturday, March 9. The show begins at 7:30 PM.

Jim Barnes is known throughout New Hampshire as a fine singer/songwriter of what he terms “New Hampshire-flavored music” but he is also known and appreciated for his presentation of traditional Irish pub-style music. “This is the music you would hear as you hoist a pint in a tavern or a pub,” says Jim, songs of the Irish Rebellion, love songs, songs about emigration and transportation; a wide variety that tells the story of the Irish spirit, mixed in with Jim’s hilarious sense of humor.

Featured along with Jim Barnes is Lakes Region favorite, Ellen Carlson, whose reputation as a fiddler precedes her onto the Opera House stage. She has appeared with the High Range Band and as leader of the New Hampshire Fiddle Ensemble. Fred Clifford, Steve Moore, and Dick Bennett round out the band on bass guitar, guitar, bagpipes, tin whistle, and mandolin. And there will be a special treat as well: Elsa and Leah, Irish step dancers from the Cunniffe Academy of Irish Dance will also be on hand to add to the evening’s festivities.

‘Tickets are on sale and going fast,” reports Steve Foley, Opera House Executive Director, “but there are still good seats available for this exciting and energetic show.”

Good seats are never a problem at the historic Franklin Opera House, an intimate, 300 seat theater located in downtown Franklin, in the City Hall building. There are no obstructed view seats in either the orchestra section or in the balcony, and ample free parking all around.

Tickets for Jim Barnes, Balladeer and the None of Us Is Irish Irish band are now on sale at FranklinOperaHouse.org, by visiting the box office Monday through Friday from 10 AM to 2 PM, or by calling 934-1901. Reserved seat tickets are priced at $15 for adults, with senior tickets at $13. Also, Onions Restaurant and Pub at the Tilton Inn is offering an Irish dinner special for the evening, including choice of appetizer, entree, and dessert for just $19.95 with your purchase of tickets for the show.

Jim Barnes, Balladeer and the None of Us Is Irish Irish Band is sponsored co-operatively by Ed Reilly Subaru of Concord and by the Propane Gas Association of New England.