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Corca Dhuibhne, Co. Kerry: a musical armchair journey

Corca Dhuibhne, Co. Kerry: a musical armchair journey

As part of ITMA's Pop-Up Archive at Scoil Cheoil an Earraigh in February 2020, musicians Seán Hughes and Clíodhna Ní Bheaglaoich were invited to research and prepare a presentation on the music, song and dance of Corca Dhuibhne based on resources found in ITMA collections. Seán has kindly taken time during the current lock-down to turn their February 2020 Scoil Cheoil an Earraigh presentation into an online blog.

Rince Sráide, Muiríoch, 1963. From the Des Ó Murchú Collection at ITMA

“The variety of material stored in the archive was revealed to us on that tour. We were shown through rooms full of 78 rpms, cassette tapes, LPs, books, photographs, printed materials, manuscripts, digital audio files and more. We were only beginning to realise the wealth of the collection that we were lucky enough to be exploring.”

Seán Hughes
Irish Traditional Music Archive Reading Room

“We therefore wanted to travel back and find older musicians from past generations, who in many cases had passed away, and to reveal to people recordings and pieces of music which are a part of their musical heritage but which may not necessarily be in the mainstream today.”

Seán Hughes
Small selection of Corca Dhuibhne CDs from the ITMA Collection / Sampla beag ón gnuasach ceoil a d'fhoilsigh ceoltóirí áitiúla Corca Dhuibhne.
Scoil Cheoil an Earraigh sign

Port na bPucaí, air / Muiris Ó Dálaigh, lilting, speech in Irish. With permission from The National Folklore Collection/Cnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann UCD

“It is a fine collection and one that we were not aware of before our time spent at ITMA. Clíodhna had long heard mention of Moss Martin as an excellent musician in the region and indeed associated a number of local tunes with his name. She had never until this point heard him playing and was delighted to come across this recording.”

Seán Hughes

Ríl Pheait Lyons / Moss Martin, accordion. With permission from RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta

Mary in the woods, song / Mairéad Ghineá. With permission from RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta

“Our experience of researching and our time spent among the staff at ITMA was hugely rewarding to us. We can only recommend a visit.”

Seán Hughes & Clíodhna Ní Bheaglaoich