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So what if you could learn Irish, at home, for free?
Thanks to funding from the Big Lottery Fund, Derry’s Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin is now able to provide a series of podcasts online completely free of charge to encourage people to take the plunge and learn a new skill.
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In search of the best new talent on the trad/folk scene
Young emerging acts with their own unique brand of Irish traditional music are encouraged to take part in an exciting new project in association with Comhaltas Dhoire and Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin.
‘An Ré Nua ~ the New Era’ is a competition designed to encourage young and innovative musicians to compete against each other for a chance to kick start a career in folk and traditional music.
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www.facebook.com/gradamceoil
www.gradam.ie
Donegal accordion maestro Dermot Byrne heads the list of recipients of the TG4 Gradam Ceoil 2013 (Traditional Music Awards) announced at a media reception in Limerick this evening. Born and reared in Buncrana in the north-east of the county, his roots stretch to the Teelin Gaeltacht in the south-west and his musical tastes range far and wide. He has been one of the country’s top box players since his teenage years and has been a long-serving member of the internationally renowned group Altan as well as performing regularly with the top names in traditional music and releasing solo recordings too.
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The long running popular traditional music series, Geantraí starts a new 10 week run on TG4 starting on Sunday 17th Feb at 10pm and repeated Friday 22nd at 8pm. The series presented by a different musician each week is produced in genuine traditional music pub locations around Ireland and as well as featuring many of our best known musicians it is also a platform for emerging young musicians. The opening programme in the Geantraí series comes from PJ Hayes Pub in Carlingford, Co Louth and is presented by fiddle player Dónal O’Connor where among the guests are At First Light, Zӧe Conway and singer Pádraigín Ní Uallachain. (more…)
The traditional music community across Ireland
will pay tribute to one of their own in Derry this February.
From 8-10th February an all-star line up of musicians, tutors and performers will gather at Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin to celebrate the life and legacy of Caoimhín Ó Dochartaigh. Visitors will be offered the chance to take part in master classes with world renowned traditional musicians Laoise Kelly (harp), Siobhan Peoples and Josie Nugent (fiddle), Eamonn Cotter (flute) and Steve Cooney (guitar). There will also be intensive Irish language courses on offer, some late night tunes with Four Men and a Dog and an exclusive concert bringing together trad legends Steve Cooney, Dave Munnelly, Mórga, Gino Lupari and Dónal Murphy.
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By Paddy O’Brien, foreword by Martin Hayes
www.orpenpress.com
The Road from Castlebarnagh covers the many adventures of Paddy O’Brien, Irish traditional musician, composer and collector, as a boy growing up more than half a century ago in the midlands of Ireland. Paddy grew up in a small thatched house without running water or electricity, near the town of Daingean in County Offaly. It was a time when the social life of the Irish countryside often took place around the fireplace, where stories were told and music was played. In his book he writes of the many colourful characters who shaped his perception of Irish life and culture. Showing Paddy’s flair for storytelling, The Road from Castlebarnagh is the story of how a young musician absorbed his surroundings while developing his own distinctive musical style.
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Music Network presents Iarla Ó Lionáird (voice), Cleek Schrey (fiddle) and Ivan Goff, (uilleann pipes) on Tour: March 19th–27th, 2013
Music Network presents sean-nós singer Iarla O’Lionaird, considered by The Guardian to be, ‘one of the most dramatic voices in contemporary music’, with US fiddle player, Cleek Schrey and champion piper, Ivan Goff on tour March 19th–27th. The mercurial Ó Lionáird is one of Ireland’s foremost sean–nós singers and a genre–crossing singer-songwriter who has also fronted Afro Celt Sound System and Crash Ensemble. Music Network tours provide a wonderful opportunity to see some of the world’s foremost musicians at affordable prices in venues around Ireland, and are presented in association with RTÉ lyric fm. Music Network is funded by the Arts Council.
Further information visit www.musicnetwork.ie
Monaghan piper, Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn and Dublin harpist Oisín Morrison were the winners of the Seán Ó Riada gold medal in the concert final which took place in Cork on Friday January 18th.
The winners were each presented with a gold medal specially-designed by Cashel goldsmith Pádraig Ó Mathúna and a cheque for ?1250 at the event in the Rochestown Park Hotel in Cork. (more…)
At the most central crossroads in Co. Sligo, Gurteen Cross, stands the modern, yet impressive building that is Ceoláras Coleman! This building is the focus for and home to a state of the art traditional music programme! The visitors’ experience is informal, welcoming and friendly. The Centre seeks to provide visitors with a tailor– made first–hand experience of traditional Irish music including a twelve minute audio–visual presentation. The Music Shop stocks an extensive selection of music CD’s, instruments, music books as well as souvenirs and books of local interest with a wider appeal.
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TUNES FROM THE GOODMAN MANUSCRIPTS
www.claddaghrecords.com
Mick O’Brien (uilleann pipes/flute/whistle), Emer Mayock (flute/ whistle) and Aoife Ní Bhriain (fiddle) are releasing a CD entitled Tunes from the Goodman Manuscripts with repertoire drawn from original sources collected by Canon James Goodman in the mid – 19th century in his native province of Munster.
The manuscripts, which since his death have been held in the Library of Trinity College provide unique insights into the evolution of Irish traditional music and are of great significance because they preserve much of the traditional music of the south of Ireland as it was sung and played in the years before traditional culture there was devastated by the Great Famine of the 1840’s. (more…)
