Meet BLÁTHNAID: The Gaeilgeoir DJ & Future Fund Winner Backing Irish Club Culture
Words: Rachel Hannon
BLÁTHNAID hasn’t been DJing for too long. But since she started, she’s made her Electric Picnic debut, played sets in Ibiza, Malta, Tenerife, started producing her own music, and founded the club night DÚIL, a club night dedicated to giving Irish DJs a platform. And now, she has just been announced as Jagermeister’s 2026 SAVETHENIGHT Future Fund winner. Not too shabby.
Originally from Kerry and now based in Dublin, BLÁTHNAID O’Toole is a DJ, producer, filmmaker and promoter whose sets move through progressive house, hard house, speed garage, progressive trance, breaks and electro. Through absolutely every set she plays, and every mix she creates, there’s this euphoric streak that runs through it. It’s energetic, slick, and built for a dancefloor. Her sets have featured producers including Spray, Drua, Sally C, Pagan, Saoirse, Cailín, Prozak, DART, Long Island Sound and Brame & Hamo, alongside her own productions. Now, she’s the winner of Jägermeister’s 2026 SAVETHENIGHT Future Fund.
“I’ve always been really passionate about music”, says BLÁTHNAID. “From an early age, I played traditional Irish music and the fiddle, which has definitely shaped my love for music and performance. I’ve been DJing for the past two years, and I’m incredibly grateful for all the opportunities it has brought me so far!
“I’d describe my sound as nostalgic, euphoric, and hypnotic. I’m inspired by early ’90s progressive house, breakbeat, hard house, speed garage, and progressive trance.”
As a pillar of Jägermeister’s SAVETHENIGHT campaign, the SAVETHENIGHT Future Fund is an initiative created to support the next generation of nightlife talent. This year, winner BLÁTHNAID will receive €2,000, an opening slot at The Grand Social on 21 October alongside Shampain and EMA, along with with social coverage. As someone whose DJ career has been jam-packed since she began, it’s another major milestone for the selector. And this feels like only the beginning.
As a pillar of Jägermeister’s SAVETHENIGHT campaign, the SAVETHENIGHT Future Fund is an initiative created to support the next generation of nightlife talent. This year, winner BLÁTHNAID will receive €2,000, an opening slot at The Grand Social on 21 October alongside Shampain and EMA, along with with social coverage. As someone whose DJ career has been jam-packed since she began, it’s another major milestone for the selector. And this feels like only the beginning.
“It’s an absolute privilege to be opening for these legends! I’m very excited and so grateful for this opportunity! I can’t wait to set the energy for the night and warm up for them!”
But BLÁTHNAID isn’t carving out a space for just herself. Earlier this year, she launched DÚIL, her own event series centered around local Irish talent. The first installment took place at Wigwam, adding promoter to a CV that already includes filmmaker, camera operator, producer, and DJ. The word DÚIL itself means desire, longing or an inclination towards something. And at the centre of this project is exactly that: BLÁTHNAID’s desire to create inclusive nights for Ireland’s electronic community.
“DÚIL (element or desire as Gaeilge) is an all-inclusive electronic music community and club night. The goal is to give underrepresented DJs the opportunities to play and express themselves while also creating a space for the Irish language.
“We had an amazing Irish-speaking MC, Cáití Ní Céilleacair, and it was incredible to hear the language being spoken all night – even by my friends running the door and managing ticket sales.
“I’m so grateful for our launch lineup – Kaycee, Surka, Shauna Dee, Jenn Hession, Eskay, Emore, and Unity – who all really helped push the night and have all been really supportive. We’ve already had so much response from the public about how much they enjoyed our launch event, and the atmosphere and crowd was a night to remember!”
DÚIL gives underrepresented DJs the opportunity to have somewhere to actually perform. Creating nights like these isn’t always straightforward either. That’s why BLÁTHNAID’s experience of being both performer and promoter works so well. She knows what it takes to keep an event like this running, both behind the scenes and behind the decks.
“I’m blown away by the support and community that is being created. A big shoutout to Eskay for bringing all the graphic designs to life and to Winnerflags for the brilliant custom cards they made for our event launch!
“None of this would have been possible without the incredible people who have helped and supported DÚIL so far. You know who you are, and I am endlessly grateful! We have some exciting announcements for up and coming events so keep an eye out! Coinnigh súil amach!”
From launching this club night to what she shares across social media, you can really tell she’s passionate about one thing in particular: showcasing Irish talent. She has been vocal about the lack of infrastructure to support up and coming electronic acts. This is why she continues to support local, home-grown DJs in her sets, including Spray, Brame & Hamo, Drua, Sally C, Pagan, Saoirse, Cailín, Prozak and DART. But acts like these can only build a name for themselves with the right infrastructure and support, which is exactly the aim of DÚIL. For BLÁTHNAID, protecting this community is paramount to allowing Ireland’s electronic scene to thrive.
“Things are not okay in the industry right now regarding clubs, spaces, and funding. The government really needs to invest more in our nightlife and culture. As a promoter, it’s proving very difficult to run nights and get a venue booking, especially as a new collective. There is also a massive issue with ticket sales being bought last minute – for promoters, this is an absolute nightmare because events can end up getting cancelled. I’ve seen so many friends and promoters forced to stop running events because they were consistently making a loss, and things have just gone from bad to worse.
“So many friends of mine have had to discontinue previously successful events as it has not been viable for them to continue. To save the night in Ireland, the government should set up or at least pilot some schemes, pathways, outreach programmes and/or funding streams for events. I think it would be fantastic for under-represented Irish artists to encourage them while introducing them to these creative spaces. We simply need more money allocated.”
Her desire to develop Ireland’s cultural nightlife infrastructure is both an integral part of her artistry, but it also sits at the centre of Jägermeister’s SAVETHENIGHT initiative. Rather than simply talking about the importance of nightlife, the Future Fund is designed to give an emerging artist something concrete: money to reinvest in their work, professional coverage and a proper live opportunity. For BLÁTHNAID, the €2,000 will go beyond her own DJ career.
“I would use this opportunity to showcase Irish producers (and my own music), connect and share new music with the crowd while also keeping in mind opening for Ema and Shampain and fitting their vibe and warming up the crowd… I would also use the money to run more of my events nights (DÚIL), showcasing local Irish talent, and also would invest in more production equipment, subscriptions for Splice + ableton, getting sample packs, and getting the studio gear I need and improving my press kit.”
On October 21, she’ll also take the opening slot at The Grand Social alongside two artists who have played a major role in shaping contemporary Irish club culture: EMA and Shampain. This night isn’t just about enjoying the tunes. It’s a chance to witness a DJ at a pivotal point in her career, while also supporting the growth of the electronic music ecosystem. Although BLÁTHNAID’s career started with DJing, it has already blossomed into championing others, organising club nights and making room for new artists. That’s exactly the ethos behind Jägermeister’s SAVETHENIGHT Future Fund.
“I’ll be showcasing as many Irish artists as I can, and hopefully playing an unreleased track of mine!”
BLÁTHNAID joins EMA and Shampain at The Grand Social on October 21. Early bird tickets are €1 and include a complimentary drink, with general admission tickets priced at €10. If you want to see the next generation of Irish club culture, you know where to be. Get your tickets here.
Please enjoy Jägermeister responsibly. Visit drinkaware.ie for more information.
