LEWISTON — New England Celtic Arts will present a weeklong Saint Patrick’s celebration with Northern Ireland’s premier traditional band McPeake giving three concerts in Maine.

Performances will be at the Unity College Center for the Performing Arts in Unity on Monday, March 14; Franco-American Heritage Center on Tuesday, March 15; and Skye Theatre Theatre Performing Arts Center in Carthage on Wednesday, March 16.

McPeake fuses original Celtic compositions with contemporary rhythms and styles to create its own sound.

Band members have performed alongside such prestigious artists as John Lennon, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, The Chieftains, Bono of U2 and Riverdance.

Francis McPeake IV, the fourth generation of this world-famous musical group, is one of the few authentic uilleann pipers in the world. Uilleann pipes are the characteristic national bagpipe of Ireland, distinguished from other bagpipes by their sweet tone and wide range of notes.

Throughout the early 1990s, he performed with and managed the McPeake Family tours in the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States.

The McPeakes are known mostly for family bands that performed over the generations. Francis McPeake IV formed the band McPeake to play for a stage show based on the Titanic that he co-wrote in 2003. Since then, the band has worked with many prominent Irish artists, including Brian Kennedy, Finbar Furey, Kieran Goss, Juliet Turner and Ralph McTell.

 Paula McPeake is the established songwriter for the band. Nick Scott, who plays double bass, has toured with Van Morrison for more than 10 years and has played bass with the stage dance show “Riverdance.”

Sean O’Kane, who plays the tin whistle and button accordion, has competed in many All-Ireland Fleadh competitions and (alongside Mairead) was a member of Trad Og. Peter Wallace, the band’s lead singer, brings a predominantly folk and blues background to the McPeake sound.

Curtain is at 7 p.m. at the Franco center and Skye Theatre, and 7:30 p.m. at Unity College. Preshow jam sessions at Skye and Unity will start one hour prior to curtain. For tickets, $15, call the Franco center at 783-1585 or visit www.francoamericanheritage.org; Skye Theatre at 562-4445; or UCCPA at 948-7469. The Franco center is at 46 Cedar St. in Lewiston; Skye Theater is at 2 Highland Drive in Carthage; and UCCPA is at 42 Depot St. in Unity.