Bohola. In historical terms, the name is a town in the west of Ireland where for over 200 years thousands of people have fled to seek better lives due to overwhelming poverty.

In today’s terms, bohola defines a trio of Irish music’s finest musicians who create unique song blends with a heavy Irish influence. The band will be performing a Celtic-flavored Christmas at 8 p.m. Friday at the Maintenance Shop.

“In the Chicago area of my youth, there were a number of traditional musicians from the town Bohola,” Sean Cleland says. “These people selflessly gave themselves to the Irish music community in Chicago. The name bohola represents the spirit of these people and their hearty optimism.”

Cleland, bohola’s fiddle and viola player, relied on these musicians for his own inspiration when he picked up his first violin at age seven. Cleland briskly moved up in the ranks through competing and performing with local Chicago musicians to eventually become positioned at the top of his field musically.

“Irish music is definitely a passed-down tradition,” he explains.

In 1989, Sean founded the alternative Irish rock group The Drovers who appeared and performed in two major motion pictures: “Backdraft” (1991) and “Blind” (1994). He has performed with the Drovers throughout North America at various clubs, concerts and festivals. The Drovers used to make visits to play at the M-Shop in Ames 2-3 times per year in the mid-’90s.

Bohola also features London native Jimmy Keane, who Cleland states is “a world champion on the accordion.” Patrick Broaders, who is originally from Dublin, sings and plays the Irish bouzouki to round out the group. The band specializes in a variety of Celtic styles, incorporating wild, abandoned jigs and reels to sensitive airs and songs.

Friday’s performance will promote their current Christmas CD entitled “A Childhood Christmas.”

“It’s the perfect sort of music for the M-Shop,” Cleland says. “This show is for people who are sick of the same old stuff and want something more than `Hark the Herald Angel Sings.’ It’s definitely a different perspective. It’s a lot of fun.”

The Celtic Christmas concert takes the various Christmas season and pre-Christian traditions of the Celtic world – places like Ireland, Scotland and Britain – and presents them through dance, music and song.

“It will be a great, all-encompassing evening . lots of beautiful songs, rousing jigs and reels,” Cleland says. It will be a perfect way to take part in the winter solstice.”

Bohola recently signed with Shanachie records in May and its self-titled debut comes out at the end of January.