www.rte.ie/rnag

A Boston brother and sister are among the 15 traditional musicians who will compete for the Seán Ó Riada Gold Medal on 6 February in Cork.  The final will be broadcast live on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta at 7 pm, presented by Peadar Ó Riada.

Heather Cole-Mullen and Adam Cole-Mullen will be among the 15 fiddlers who will take to the stage to vie for the specially designed gold medal, and a cash prize of €2000.  Heather is living in Mayo, but Adam will be one of five musicians travelling from the US to Cork for the final, and they will be joined by fiddlers from Kerry, Armagh, Dublin, Leitrim, Tipperary and Waterford.

The youngest finalist this year is Sarah O’Gorman, 16, from Waterford, closely followed by Jayne Pomplas, 17, who will be travelling to Cork from West New York to compete.  All in all, there will be musicians from Kerry, Armagh, Dublin, Leitrim, Tipperary, Waterford, Mayo and the US – Boston, Chicago and New York.

This year, for the first time, the traditional music will extend into Saturday as well, with a special concert of past winners of the Seán Ó Riada Gold Medal taking place in the Rochestown Park Hotel at 8 pm on 7 February.

Judges are top-class musicians Connie O’Connell, Ciarán Ó Maonaigh and Seán Keane.

Saturday’s concert will feature Aoife Ní Bhriain, fiddle, winner of the inaugural Seán Ó Riada Gold Medal in 2011, who will be joined by Tim McHugh, flute, Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn, pipes, Oisín Morrison, harp, and Cormac Begley, concertina, for a night of top class traditional music in the Rochestown Park from 8 pm.  Tickets are €10 and can be purchased on the door on the night.

For those interested in attending the competition, the Rochestown Park is offering a special rate of €50 for B&B and entry to the competition, or €100 for two nights and entry to both events.  Contact the hotel directly on 021 4890800.  Tickets can be bought at the door, or booked online at cuireadhchunceoil.ie.

Sponsors of the competition are Iontaobhas Fódhla, Gael Linn, Rochestown Park, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.

The final for the Seán Ó Riada Gold Medal will be broadcast live on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta on Friday 6 February at 7 pm, presented by Peadar Ó Riada.  Tune in on fm, or online at www.rte.ie/rnag .

RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
Preasráiteas

Deartháir agus deirfiúr i measc na n-iomaitheoirí do Bhonn Óir Sheáin Uí Riada

Beidh 15 fidléir san iomaíocht sa chraobh do Bhonn Óir Sheáin Uí Riada i gCorcaigh ar 6 Feabhra, deartháir agus deirfiúr as Boston Mheiriceá ina measc.  Craolfar an chraobh beo ar RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta ó Óstán Pháirc Bhaile an Róistigh ag 7 pm.

Beidh Adam Cole-Mullen in iomaíocht lena dheirfiúr Heather Cole-Mullen don bhonn óir agus €2000 ar 6 Feabhra, mar aon le 13 ceoltóir eile, ceathrar eile as Meiriceá, agus fidléirí den scoth as Ciarraí, Ard Mhacha, BÁC, Liatroim, Tiobraid Árann agus Port Láirge.

Is í Sarah O’Gorman as Port Láirge, 16, an t-iomaitheoir is óige, agus níl Jayne Pomplas, 17, as Iarthar Nua Eabhrac mórán níos sine.  Beidh Ciara Ní Bhriain ar dhuine de na daoine óga eile sa chomórtas.  Tá Ciara 18 agus bhuaigh deirfiúr le Ciara, Aoife Ní Bhriain, an chéad Bhonn Óir siar sa bhliain 2011.

I mbliana den chéad uair, leanfaidh an ceol traidisiúnta ar aghaidh oíche Dé Sathairn freisin, le coirmcheoil mhór de bhuaiteoirí an bhoinn go nuige seo – Aoife Ní Bhriain, fidil, Tim McHugh, feadóg mhór, Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn, píobaí, Oisín Morrison, cruit, agus Cormac Begley, consairtín.  Tosóidh an choirm ag 8 pm.

Dúirt Peadar Ó Riada, Stiúrthóir an chomórtais:
“Bhí caighdeán fíor-ard againn sa chomórtas i mbliana, agus tháinig iarrachtaí isteach ó fhidléirí ar fud an domhain.  Is iad Connie O’Connell, Ciarán Ó Maonaigh agus Seán Keane na moltóirí ar an gcomórtas, ceoltóirí den chéad scoth iad ar fad, agus beidh muid ag súil le ana-oíche ar an séú lá, agus sár-cheol arís oíche Dé Sathairn le coirm na mbuaiteoirí ó bhlianta eile.”

Tá tairiscint speisialta ag an óstán don ócáid.  Oíche leaba agus bricfeasta agus cead isteach chuig an gcomórtas, €50, nó dhá oíche agus cead isteach chuig an dá ócáid, €100.  Is féidir dul i dteagmháil leis an óstán faoi ag 021 4890800, agus is féidir ticéidí a cheannach ar an doras nó ar líne don dá ócáid ag cuireadhchunceoil.ie.

Is iad na hurraithe ar an gcomórtas Iontaobhas Fódhla, Gael Linn, Rochestown Park, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta agus Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.

Craolfar an chraobh do Bhonn Óir Sheáin Uí Riada ar RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta Dé hAoine 6 Feabhra 7 pm.  Is féidir éisteacht ar fm, nó ar-líne ag www.rte.ie/rnag