The emphasising of rhythm by the use of percussion instruments is not as usual in Irish traditional music as in many other forms of traditional music, probably because of the prominent part that melody plays in the Irish tradition. Nevertheless, percussion instruments are nowadays commonly enough employed in this music, in spite of resistance from some musicians, and even though they were little used in the past. A selection of images of percussion instruments as used for accompanying dance music or song is presented below from the collections of the Irish Traditional Music Archive.

The commonest such percussion instrument played in the current tradition is the bodhran, a musical instrument now but once a useful multipurpose domestic container and utensil. In all its modern forms the bodhran has enjoyed a phenomonal growth in popularity during the last half-century (in both its noise-making and musical capacities), and this popularity has been paralleled by an astonishing development in the playing techniques brought to bear on the instrument. The bodhran naturally predominates among the images of percussion instruments reproduced below: players are seen playing it on the face and on the rim, by hand and by stick, manipulating the skin-sound by pressing on it, tuning it and singing to it.

Less often used are spoons and bones, and, since the decline of the ceili band, bass drums, snare drums and drum blocks. A gong makes a unique appearance, and our initial 19th-century newspaper image shows that any domestic implement that could make intimidating noises would be pressed into service for political purposes.

Nicholas Carolan & Treasa Harkin, 1 December 2012

North Connacht, and in particular South Sligo, has produced a disproportionate number of outstanding traditional musicians relative to its size. From an area measuring approximately 400 square miles, taking in north Roscommon, north east Mayo and south Leitrim, an abundance of outstanding musicians have emerged, most notably fiddle and flute players. Some of the most celebrated and influential traditional music comes from this area, with duets like fiddler Fred Finn and flute player Peter Horan. In an area of such rich musical heritage the three musicians heard here have achieved a special place in traditional music’s Hall of Fame.

Michael Coleman (1891–1945) Kilavil, Co. Sligo.
James Morrison (1891–1947) Riverstown, Co. Sligo.
Paddy Killoran (1904–1965) Ballymote, Co. Sligo.

They became known as the ‘Sligo Masters’ or the ‘Holy Trinity’ of Sligo fiddle players. A combination of circumstances led to this exalted position. All three were musicians of outstanding technical prowess and this fact alone may have served to make their music influential; however, a major factor in their universal popularity and influence was their commercial recordings. All three emigrated to the USA and recorded extensively with the Decca and Columbia labels, amongst others. These 78 rpm recordings were widely distributed in the USA and Ireland becoming hugely popular. Many tune combinations that are still widely played today were first put together on these seminal recordings. Renowned radio producer and researcher Harry Bradshaw has conducted extensive research on this subject and he concludes: ‘No other musician [as Coleman] in the history of traditional music has been so imitated. His influence pervades the entire Irish tradition today’ (Companion to Irish Traditional Music, Fintan Vallely).

Though the eighteen recordings featured here are a mere taster of the music of Sligo’s ‘Holy Trinity’ they illustrate beautifully the vibrancy and lyrical musicality of the music of South Sligo.

Brian Doyle, 1 October 2015

Jim Carroll, of Liverpool Irish descent, and Pat Mackenzie, herself an Anglo-Scot, have been immersed in traditional singing and in other oral traditions since their earliest involvement in the 1960s. They were both members of Ewan McColl’s influential Critics Group in London, and their study of traditional song there brought them in 1973 to the ongoing tape-recording of Irish Traveller singers in London and, a related project, of traditional singers in west Clare, as well as of English and Scots singers. They have lived in Co Clare since 1998. Their private collection is now one of the largest in Irish music, and they have generously deposited copies of it in the Irish Traditional Music Archive, the British Library, and other public repositories.

A wide selection of their recordings have been published on LP, cassette and CD since 1978: Paddy’s Panacea (singer Tom Lenihan, Clare, 1978, LP), Early in the Month of Spring (Irish Travellers singing & story-telling in London, 1986, cassette) incorporated in From Puck to Appleby (Irish Travellers singing in England, 2003, 2 CDs), ‘… and That’s My Story’ (British & Irish story-tellers, 1991, cassette), and Around the Hills of Clare (Clare singers, 2004, 2 CDs). Royalties have been kindly donated to ITMA and other institutions.

The selection of sound recordings given here represents only the main categories of the Carroll-Mackenzie Collection: their Traveller recordings, their Clare recordings, and their recordings of Irish musicians in London. All of the Collection is freely available for listening and study in ITMA.

With thanks to the singers and musicians presented here, and to Pat Mackenzie & Jim Carroll for their donations of digitised sound recordings, printed materials, & information over many years.

Nicholas Carolan & Danny Diamond, 1 December 2012

A recent innovation of the annual Frankie Kennedy Winter School/ Scoil Gheimhridh in Gaoth Dobhair, Co Donegal, has been the introduction of a daily ‘Music Archive/ Taisce Cheoil’ event in which the performance of music or song is combined with informal conversation about the life and times of the artist in the spotlight.

Selections from three of the ‘Music Archive’ events at the Scoil Gheimhridh/ Winter School Frankie Kennedy 2012–2013 are presented below, courtesy of the School and of the artists featured who were filmed by staff of the Irish Traditional Music Archive.

On 29 December 2012 Bríd Harper played solo fiddle and spoke about how she learned her music, and was joined by Maurice Lennon on fiddle to finish. On 30 December Iarla Ó Lionáird sang solo in Irish, and spoke about his musical and cultural background, and about his vocal technique and personal philosophy of music. On 31  December Andy Irvine, singing in English with bouzouki acompaniment, reminisced about his early life in London, and his membership of the seminal groups Sweeney’s Men and Planxty.

With thanks to Bríd Harper, Iarla Ó Lionáird and Andy Irvine, to Conor Byrne, to Silvia Vitali, & to Scoil Gheimhridh Frankie Kennedy. Photograph of Andy Irvine courtesy & © Silvia Vitali / Six Photography.

Nicholas Carolan & Danny Diamond, 1 February 2013

The Frankie Kennedy Winter School for Irish traditional music has been held annually in Gaoth Dobhair in north-west Co Donegal since 1994, spanning the last days of December and the first days of January. The School was founded by family and friends in memory of the Belfast flute player Frankie Kennedy (1955–1994), co-founder with his wife Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh of the world-renowned group Altan, and it has always had a strong international dimension.

The School comprises a wide range of classes, sessions, concerts, lectures, and workshops, all open to the general public, and with a special emphasis on the traditional music of Donegal and its transmission to the younger generation. The Irish Traditional Music Archive has carried out audio and video field recording at the School since 2004–2005, and it continued its documentation work there again this year, 2011–2012, at the 18th School.

Reproduced above, courtesy of the School and its presenters, is a selection of music, song and speech from ITMA videos recorded at workshops organised for this year’s event. Featured are Donegal fiddle player Danny Meehan, Irish-American singer and musician Tim O’Brien, and Irish-Australian musician Steve Cooney.

With thanks to Danny Meehan, Tim O’Brien, Steve Cooney, and to the organisers of the Frankie Kennedy Winter School/ Scoil Gheimhridh Frankie Kennedy, for permission to publish these recordings. All FKWS recordings are available to the public for reference access and study in ITMA.

Nicholas Carolan & Danny Diamond, 1 February 2012

ITMA is delighted to present Drawing from the Well 2021 Episode 5, a video featuring Steve Cooney, Iarla Ó Lionáird and Odhrán Ó Casaide. The trio discuss, and reflect on the enduring legacy of the 19th century collector Canon James Goodman. James Goodman (1828−1896), a native of Dingle, Co. Kerry, canon of the Church of Ireland and Professor of Irish at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) compiled an exceptional 19th century music and song manuscript collection in the southwest of Ireland.

Steve Cooney is best known for his development of an influential style of guitar accompaniment to Irish dance music that he developed in West Kerry, and for which he won the National Entertainment Award with Séamus Begley in 1997.