TESTIMONIALS - Older
Hi Barry & Co, Just wanted to say a very big thank you for the music on our wedding day last Friday. From church, to drinks reception, to main band, to DJ - you guys were just fantastic. You were able to handle it all - classical, religious, folk, trad, rock, country, pop, ceili set and even managed the obscure songs we wanted during our ceremony. Everyone enjoyed the day thoroughly thanks to your band. Thanks a million again! Mairead & Brendan.
- Mairead Smithers September 2014
Step House Hotel. Borris Co. Carlow
Hi Barry, How are you? Thanks a mil to you and the band for the brilliant music at our wedding. The floor was never empty and our guests were raving bout the music. Everyone really enjoyed themselves and the music made that happen. Thanks, Kay and Shane
- Kay & Shane October 2014
The Malton, Killarney, Co. Kerry
Hi Barry, I just wanted to say thank you so much for playing our wedding, you and your band were absolutely brilliant and if I ever know anyone getting married in Ireland I would highly recommend you guys. I wanted to ask is there any website or any kind of following where people can go and write a review? Thanks again and thank you so much for making our day so special and staying the extra time to DJ. Brilliant fun! Thanks,Katie
- Katie Browne September 2014
Cahernane House Hotel, Killarney Co. Kerry
Hi Barry, just wanted to say a big thank you to you and the band for playing at our wedding in Gougane Barra recently. Everyone had an absolute ball, the conga line was a big hit :-) Thanks again, Katie & Tomás
- Katie Kerin November 2014
Gougane Barra Hotel, Cork
2014 was The Bansha Boys first year playing Weddings. I ran the Jigabyte Band from 2007 to 2012. I was also the lead singer and guitarist in the band. Here are some testimonials from that time dealing with Couples and their wishes.
Hi Barry, I just wanted to say a huge thank you on behalf of myself and Pat for the wonderful music you provided for us on our wedding day on the 13th of April. Everything from the church to the disco was just what we wanted so thanks for making our day so special.
- Martina & Pat July 2012
Ballyroe Hotel, Tralee, Co. Kerry
Hi Barry, We meant to contact you sooner, but things have been hectic since we got back from honeymoon. We just wanted to thank you for playing at our wedding. The band was excellent, great musicians and great set list. So many of our guests of all ages have commented on the quality of the music and how much they enjoyed it. Thanks again for making the journey to the Slieve Russell. We will recommend you highly to everyone! Kind regards,
- Deirbhile and Stephen Smyth April 2011
Slieve Russell Hotel, Co. Cavan
Barry, A big thanks to you and the band. The church music was perfect. Everyone said how great the band were. I was very impressed. The music made the day extra special.
- Michelle & Bobby August 2012
Nuremore Hotel, Co. Monaghan
Hi Barry,We're back from our honeymoon and just wanted to say a big Thank You! We really enjoyed the night and you did a fantastic job getting people out dancing. We couldn't be happier with the night. Many guests commented on how great the band were. Best of luck with your career.
- Joanne and Neil O Shea Nov 2012
We got married on the 30th April 2011 in Dingle and decided to have Barry and Gigabyte play at our wedding. When we first contacted Barry the selection of different packages allowed us to decide if we wanted Gigabyte for the church, the reception, the evening music and the disco or any combination of these. Initially we were wondering if this would be a positive having the same person playing all day long, but the way you changed the music and styles to fit each section of the day was excellent. It also gave us real peace of mind knowing that we only had to deal with one person for all of our music needs on our special day.
Having not been down this road before we weren't quite sure what to look for in a good wedding band, but we knew that good music=a good party and that was exactly what we were looking for. We had seen Gigabyte play on several occassions in Scott's in Killarney and could see that the music always created a party atmosphere. That said we were not sure how this would work into a wedding function. We wanted someone that could mix traditional music (waltzes, jives etc) with more up to date music and get the balance just right to please all our guests young and old. You hit the nail on the head and we could not believe how packed the dance floor was all night long.
From the moment we left the church we knew the music was spot on as guests were already coming up to us and asking where did we find you and that the church music was fab. Both you on guitar and Luke on violin were fantastic in the chruch. That high standard continued and the tempo was raised for the reception. The music was just right with guests able to mingle have a drink and a chat and at the same time enjoy the music. The weather made it all the better with you able to set-up outside and play whilst the guests looked out on Dingle bay.
For our first dance we requested Jason Mraz song "I'm yours" and with Barry on vocals it sounded like Jason himself was singing live. It was absolutely class. From there on the music only got better and the dance floor filled. It wasn't emtpy for the rest of the night. The music appealed to all ages and kept our parents happy as well as our friends. To find the balance to please such a large crowd can't be easy, but you somehow managed it. The mix between traditional Irish, jigs and reels and then modern day songs with a Gigabyte twist was perfect. You exceeded our expectations by a country mile.
Having read previous testimonials I was always somewhat sceptical to see "you will not go wrong with this band....", but I can honestly say that Gigabyte are the best band around at the moment. You can look long and hard but you will not find any better. Thanks again for making our day so special for us and for entertaining our guests all day long - Mo & Michael
Mo & Michael April 2011 Dingle Skellig Hotel, Co. Kerry
We got married in July 2010 and nearly 6 months later we are still getting asked by people what was the name of the band that was playing ar our wedding. Barry and the rest of the band were just amazing from the first dance when they sang Tom Baxters "better" to the last song at the disco the floor was full all the time. We never felt like the band were time watching or getting ready to pack up they seemed to get into the mood of the party that was going on and joined in on the fun. I would have no bother in recommending Jigabyte to anyone looking for a band I know we were delighted that we picked them for our special day...if you want to make your special day even better book Jigabyte.
Alana & Daniel December 2010
We thought that organising a band was going to be a stress-filled affair...not so with Jigabyte.
We went to see the band at another wedding and knew straight away they were for us. We wanted to avoid the 'typical' wedding band, yet provide all the usual crowd pleasers. Barry assured us this was no problem and they totally delivered on the night. Everyone loved them and many people said they were the type of band you would go and see on a night out as oppose to a 'wedding band'. Of all the various suppliers we used on the day, I can honestly say that Jigabyte were the most professional, easiest to deal with and overall 'nice guys'!
Marie and Eoin December 2010
Kenmare Bay Hotel, Co. Kerry
We got married last New Years Eve in Dunmore House in West Cork. Barry and co played at the church, at the hotel reception before the meal and then that night. As a couple, music is a big part of our lives so having a great band was really important to us. We went to see a few other bands to begin with but we saw Barry playing in Scotts in Killarney, had a chat with him and we knew pretty quickly that he was what we were looking for. Barry was great for answering all our questions up front and had no problem getting back to us via email afterward on further questions we had. We had a few requests for the church that Barry had to learn from scratch and he really got them spot on. We asked him to play Love by John Lennon, which he had to learn. Several different people commented on how amazing his version of that song was in the church. The music at the drinks reception was a nice touch, kept everyone entertained while we were getting photos - it's not something we had thought of but was a great idea. For the night performance the band were excellent - really professional and you could tell they have alot of experience with wedding crowds. They knew exactly what to play and when to up the tempo and when to slow it down. We asked them to play a large variety of styles and they had no problem in doing it. Basically as accomodating as you ask for. We found Barry to be reliable, professional, flexible and most importantly very easy to deal with. The dance floor was packed all night and everyone complimented us on our choice of band. So many people told us how much they enjoyed the wedding, and the band had alot to do with that. You want to be worrying about as little as possible on the day and Barry made sure we were completely relaxed about everything on the entertainment side of things. I doubt if you'll find a better package for wedding music and whats more they are exceptionally reasonable.
- Rick & Kerry April 2010 Dunmore House, West Cork
We booked Barry on the strength of a performance in a bar in Killarney a year before our wedding. We found him very professional and responsive in all our dealings with him. The performance on the day with down very well with all ages. He maintained the great atmosphere throughout the night until the early hours. We had great feedback from our guests on the performance. Overall we would have no hesitation in recommending Barry for your wedding.
Eamonn & Caroline Feb 2010
Barry & Co played an acoustic set at our wedding recently in Killarney. Originally they were booked to play from 9.30pm until 11.30p.m./midnight. However, they went down so well with all of our guests that they continued playing until after 1a.m. They had our guests dancing and singing into the early hours. We can't recommend them highly enough for their service, professionalism, musical talent and overall enjoyment factor. Thanks Barry & Co for great entertainment on a great night.
Peter & Sharon Malone Sept 2009
Randles Court Hotel, Killarney, Co. Kerry
My husband and I hired Barry to play for our wedding ceremony and reception in Dingle, Ireland this summer. It was THE best decision we made for our wedding event. We contacted Barry by email initially to start discussing pricing, types of instruments, and availability of musicians. Since my family would be traveling from the U.S. and my husband's from Dublin, we wanted to include a good mix of traditional Irish and contemporary music for the reception that would be suitable for all ages. Our guest list included small children, grandparents and everyone in-between. I don't know how he did it, but Barry created a play list for the reception that got everyone on the dance floor, including my 88 year-old grandmother! One of my biggest worries was planning the music program for the ceremony. I had no idea where to begin! Barry walked me through the various parts of the program, made suggestions for songs, and even helped to educate me on some of the differences between a traditional Catholic wedding ceremony in Ireland vs. the U.S. Not only was Barry's musical talent top notch (beautiful & versatile singing voice and great on guitar), but his professionalism and responsiveness during the planning process was what really set him apart from other musicians we considered. Additionally, since we were planning our event from Austin, Texas, we really appreciated his willingness to collaborate with us by email frequently until the program was perfect! We received so many compliments from our guests on the music, which was really great to hear after we'd spent so much time planning. The music program he pulled together for both the ceremony and reception is what really set the tone for the entire event from start to finish. My husband and I couldn't have been happier with our decision to work with Barry.
Colm & Sara Walsh, Dingle, Co. Kerry, Ireland - August 27, 2009 Benners Hotel, Dingle, Co. Kerry
Dear Jigabyte, Thank you so much for giving us an absolutely amazing and memorable wedding experience. All of our guests complimented us by saying it was the most fun they’d ever had at a wedding. The wedding music no doubt, played a huge part in making the day as special as it was. It was so great to have one band play for the entire day, from the wedding ceremony to the DJ. Barry: thank you for being so great to deal with, especially since we were planning our wedding from Boston and we never had the opportunity to see the band live. You were so responsive over email and you were proactive with finding out all the necessary information before the wedding. We really appreciated speaking with you over the phone, it was clear to us that you were very professional and had plenty of experience with weddings--we were definitely put at ease. We cannot thank you enough for agreeing to play at our wedding ceremony even though you had a wedding the day before and it was such a long drive from Kerry to Cavan. It was much more meaningful to us having a live band for the ceremony. While we didn’t have time to enjoy the drinks reception, we heard from our guests that you put on a really good session – most of them didn’t want to go in for the dinner at all! During the reception, our American guests really enjoyed the Irish dancing and the step by step instruction. Even though we were a little apprehensive when you told us the fiddle player had been swapped out with the accordion player, we soon learned that it was a great decision-he was brilliant and it was evident to everyone that all of the Jigabyte members are very talented musicians. From playing everything from the wild rover to the Killers, all of our guests from the young kids to the older relatives were on the dance floor all night long. We highly recommend you to any couples looking for real musicians and a great night. Thanks again,
Aileen and Brendan O'Rourke, Cabra Castle-Sept 13, 2009 Cabra Castle, Co. Cavan
Dear Barry, A BIG THANK YOU, for a fantastic performance on our wedding day 12th September 2009. We are so happy to have chosen you for both our ceremony and reception music. Our guests are still raving about the beautiful ceremony music and I am sure there are still many sore feet from all the dancing that was done. You and your very talented musicians kept the floor full right from the start. We were especially pleased with your perfect rendition of our first dance song "Chasing cars" it was just amazing. We would both highly recommend you to any couple looking for a top class band. Thanks again.
Siobhan & John Breen. Sept 2009
If anyone is having trouble selecting a band, then I would suggest you look no further than Jigabyte. We had our wedding in Trim Co. Meath and Barry and the band were simply fantastic. We live in Melbourne and had to plan for the day from Australia and Barry was an absolute pleasure to deal with. He told us to leave everything in his hands and just enjoy the night and that’s exactly what we did! We wanted a band that would get the crowd going and Jigabyte did the trick. The mix of music was varied and the ‘Irish feel’ was fantastic for our guests who travelled from down under. We were running late with the meal but it was not a problem for Barry and the band who played late into the night then DJ’d till we were out on our feet. They played a couple of Aussie songs which was a nice touch also. If you want a band that isn’t your average run of the mill wedding band, by all means book Jigabyte.
Michael and Roisin July 2009
Trim Castle Hotel, Co. Meath
Being based in London and planning our Wedding in Ireland there was always going to be a few gambles and booking Barry and his jigabyte band was a gamble. We had not really heard the Band although we had been told that they were good by a barman in Killarney. Without many other options we decided to take a punt and book them.
Booking Jigabyte was a huge success, Barry and his boys were fantastic. I am not sure if we could have found a better suited band if we had spent weeks looking. They created a great party and our guests danced from start to finish and even today one of our friends mentioned how fantastic the band were.
One of our many highlights of our wedding and if anyone is considering booking them do not hesitate.
Shane and Shinade Ballard 23/05/2009
Dear Barry, It gives us great pleasure to write (finally) these few words of deep appreciation of the way you and your Band facilitated our Wedding Day. We were impressed by the way you prepared and met us to discuss the music months before the wedding day. You also went to the trouble of contacting people who were participating in the Music during the Service. We HEARD THAT YOU ARRIVED AT THE ABBEY IN GOOD TIME to connect with people and to set the scene as it were! You sang with passion, reverence,grace and gusto during the Mass. The rest of the day flowed beautifully ., giving time and opportunity to those who wanted to participate during the evening celebration by way of song, dance and recital. We felt you were sensitive and deeply respected our personal requests. Hope to see you soon in Valentia island? With deep gratitude,
Pat & Maire Stewart, 02/06/08
Hi Guys,
I just got married last month, & I want to give a mention to our wedding band called Jigabyte. This website weddingsonline has been so useful for feedback so perhaps this info can help some of you, cause I remember when we were trying to decide on music & it just took so much time. Anyway this four piece band was excellent, with a fine fiddle player who added that riverdance thyme which really got the guests up and dancing & most importantly remaining on the dance floor!
The band is headed by the talented Barry McGrath. Barry was just fab to deal with & completely put us at ease. He also did the DJ & played all our requested songs & my husband is Italian & Barry even managed to get the Italian songs. I now realise the importance of having a good band, & these guys were the icing on the cake! By the way I got married in the Bunratty Castle & the hotel was a pleasure to deal with, a real 5 star service! Email address for band barry_s_mcgrath@hotmail.com
Enjoy the planning for the best day of your life….. never thought it would be so special!
Mrs Sorcha Savastano 06/11/08
Hi there,
Just wanted to say that we got married over a week ago and used Barry McGrath (left Celtic Music Agency) and his Jigabyte band. They were amazing, everyone raved about them and I have never seen that at a wedding before..so book them! They are flexible, courteous, can really sing and great fiddle playing. They play a mix of irish trad, irish songs, rock and roll and anything in between. Barry also does DJing and is so flexible - there is none of the .."I do 2 hours from 12 to 2.............." lark, he comes on and stays until the last person drops on the floor!.
I couldn..'t recommend them enough.
Eilin May 2008
Our wedding Day very eventful day.. What can I say Celtic Music agency provided all our music for the day and reached far beyond our expectations. The atmosphere created from Church music all the way through to the early hours were amazing.
The highlight of the day apart from my beautiful bride and my broken bones would have to be the Jigabytes , the array of music crowd interaction was purely amazing. everybody commented that it was the best craic they have ever had at a wedding, The band didn't just play the hour and half set and take the money and run they played on for ages, they seemed to feed off the atmosphere of crowd. Their professionalism, characters and musical ability's made the day purely enchanting and I would highly recommend them to anyone who wants more than just they typical wedding band.
David November 2008
We were recently married in Kerry. Jigabyte was our band of choice and from start to finish nothing was a problem. These are top class musicians who provide upbeat live entertainment. Jigabyte also offer a DJ service which we were very pleased with. This eliminates any delay in your entertainment for one of the most important days of your life. Rest assured you will not be disappointed with this band.
Lynda & John Nov 2008
Barry played at our wedding and we would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending him. He and various other musicians covered the whole day for us, church service, drinks reception, band and DJ later! We have had so many positive comments from our guests. The church music in particular was awesome, very atmospheric. I walked up the aisle to the Isle of Innishfree on the low whistle - a part of the day I will never forget. He has a great voice and was happy and able to learn two hymns I wanted which he did not know, which was great.
I did not hear a lot of the music at the drinks reception but everyone seemed to really enjoy it and it made for a lovely lively atmosphere. The weather wasn't great so people were inside and he played a few tunes and also some songs I think. He set up quickly for the evening do after the meal, played our first dance on CD and then into some waltzes. We live in London so quite a few of our friends were in Ireland for the first time. They seemed to really enjoy the traditional feel to the music. He got everyone up to teach 'Shoe the Donkey' and the 'Seige of Ennis' which they all loved. When the dancefloor was empty and people seemed to be flagging he slowed things down with some waltzes and foxtrots for the older ones. We were quite fussy about the music and did not want a typical cheesy wedding band (ie La Bamba etc). We feel we made the perfect choice - we danced all night and were delighted with all the good comments, including from one friend who said they were the best band she's heard at a wedding - including her own.
There was great peace of mind in him doing the whole day for us and he was patient when we gave him a long DJ list of what we wanted and did not want.
Shivaun November 2008
From 1998 to 2007 I was with The Big Jigs - Fabulous Band based in Donegal these days. I still tog out for the lads now and again!
Hello Tommy and Barry
Just a short note to thank you both for a great day. You managed to keep the whole day flowing with music. Eileen had no idea that you would be playing as she came down the stairs and she said the emotion of it nearly set her off into tears. Finn loved getting to play with you in the lounge, and all the guest thought the dancing was great. We really enjoyed having the CD you gave to Finn to listen to as we left Rathmullan yesterday.
We have recommended you to the hotel for any other couples seeking traditional music for their wedding.
All the best
Stephen + Eileen
Rathmullan House Hotel Oct 13th 2011