Having begun in 1993 a programme of audio studio recording, with ancillary video recording, soon after it had moved to new premises at 63 Merrion Square, Dublin (see here for details), the Irish Traditional Music Archive continued with the programme in 1994 and 1995. Again these recordings were made by Aidan McGovern, Glenn Cumiskey and Sadhbh Nic Ionnraic, and interviews were conducted by Nicholas Carolan, with the aim of documenting material and performance technique rather than producing items for publication.

Three performers among those recorded in those years were: Limerick-born and Galway-resident accordion player and repairer Charlie Harris, who has been much influenced by historic Irish-American recordings and who was in those years a long-time member of the group Shaskeen; Eilís Ní Shúilleabháin, a member of a well regarded west Cork family of traditional singers and an Oireachtas prize-winner, who was then living in Co Limerick; and Dublin uilleann piper (and whistle and flute player) Peter Browne, now also well known as a presenter and producer with the national broadcaster RTÉ Radio. A selection of their video recordings is reproduced below, courtesy of the artists.

The full audio and video recordings from which these selections come are available for reference listening and viewing within ITMA.

ITMA is grateful to Charlie Harris, to Eilís Ní Shúilleabháin, & to Peter Browne for permission to bring these recordings to a wider audience than was originally envisaged.

Nicholas Carolan & Treasa Harkin, 1 February 2013

The revival of interest in sean-nós (old-style) step dancing which has been on the rise since the late 1980s has been driven mainly from Conamara in Co Galway. This loose, partly improvised, solo exhibition form is of uncertain origin and antiquity, but it contrasts with the rigidity and programmed control normally associated with Irish solo dancing.

Two leading young Conamara sean-nós dancers were filmed by Irish Traditional Music Archive staff at the 2006–2007 Frankie Kennedy Winter School/ Scoil Gheimhridh Frankie Kennedy in Gaoth Dobhair, Co Donegal: Seosamh Ó Neachtain of An Spidéal and Róisín Ní Mhainín of Rosmuc. They danced to a range of rhythms played on accordion by Colm Gannon of Boston and Conamara at an event of the School entitled ‘An Damhsa’.

ITMA has been recording at the Frankie Kennedy Winter School since 2004–2005, and the results are available for listening and viewing to visitors to 73 Merrion Square, while some recordings have been made available on the website.

With thanks to Róisín Ní Mhainín, Seosamh Ó Neachtain & Colm Gannon for permission to reproduce their performances, and to Scoil Gheimhridh Frankie Kennedy for facilitating the recording.

Nicholas Carolan and Treasa Harkin, 1 June 2013

Amhráin Mhuighe Seóla is a classic collection of traditional songs in the Irish language, one of the relatively few to contain notated melodies as well as words.

These songs were collected in Co Galway and Co Mayo by Mrs Eileen Costello (Eibhlín Bean Mhic Choisdealbha) of Tuam in the early 20th century, and were published by the Irish Folk Song Society in London in 1919 as a number of its journal, and again in Dublin in 1923 by The Talbot Press, commercial publishers. On a variety of themes, they are mainly love songs. Maigh Seola is an ancient territory between Loughrea and Headford in Co Galway.

Mrs Costello was born Edith Drury in 1870 in St Pancras workhouse in London, where her Limerick father worked as an attendant. Her mother was Welsh. She became a teacher, and was in the 1890s prominent in a number of the then many Irish cultural organisations in London. A highly active member of the Gaelic League from its London foundation in 1896, she learned Irish there. Her song collecting in the Irish language began in London (she first collected ‘Neillí Bhán’ on a train coming from Woolwich), but her collecting work really began in Ireland, in Tuam, where she came to live having in 1903 married a Dr Thomas Bodkin from the town. He was a medical doctor, historian, and fellow Gaelic Leaguer. Among her chief singers from 1904 was a Maggie Hession of Belclare, members of whose family are still involved in traditional music. Mrs Costello was active in the War of Independence and became a senator in the Irish Free State. She died in 1962. Although she supplied extensive source-notes to the songs and information on their backgrounds (with English translations mainly by others), her motivation was not academic. She intended her volume primarily ‘for popular use in the schools and Gaelic League classes of Connacht’.

Amhráin Mhuighe Seóla, which had become a rare antiquarian volume, has been republished several times in paperback facsimile since 1990 by Cló Iar-Chonnachta. A more extensive biography of its compiler as ‘Costello, Eileen’ will be found at www.ainm.ie.

The 84 melodies of the collection are now available here for playback and reading, and in PDF format for convenient printing.

Nicholas Carolan, Treasa Harkin & Jackie Small, 29 July 2013

The images presented in this gallery illustrate the collecting work of Sidney Roberston Cowell on the Aran Islands in the 1950s, and the wider context in which she collected. More information on this topic, and on these images, can be found in the accompanying blog:
Sidney Robertson Cowell records in the Aran Islands and Conamara, 1955-56

Leo Rowsome (1903–1970) was a third generation uilleann piper. His musical and pipe making skills were inherited from his grandfather Samuel Rowsome from Ballintore. Co. Wexford and his father William who established the family pipe making and repair business in Dublin. One of six musical children, Leo was to play a pivotal role in the revival of uilleann piping in Ireland as a pipe maker, performer, teacher, organiser, advocate & publisher. He performed extensively in Ireland and abroad, and broadcast on both radio and televsion. Leo recorded with a number of 78 rpm record companies and on vinyl with Claddagh and Topic Records.

This image gallery contains 8 posters advertising Leo in concert in Ireland and Britain during the 1940s and 1950s, as well as some unique family photographs and an interesting piece of performance contract correspondence. Posters in the archival world are classed as ‘Ephemera’ . Like flyers and concert programmes these paper mementoes are often the only archival record of many concerts and events which tell the earlier story of traditional music and entertainment in both Ireland and abroad.

The Rowsome piping tradition continues through fourth and fifth generations of the family in both playing, pipe making and publishing.

We are indebted to Leo’s daughter Helena who donated these posters and photographs to ITMA and gave permission to share them online. Publishing this gallery inspired us to also feature a selection of Leo’s piping in an audio playlist of his 78 rpm disc recordings from 1926–1944.

We would like to thank Helena Rowsome for the images and also the donors of the 78 rpm discs which make up this tribute to the King of the Pipers Leo Rowsome.

Players of Irish traditional music naturally get all the limelight for their performances, but they themselves know that they are dependent on the skills of the makers of their instruments and their conversations are often about musical instrument makers. The pictures reproduced here, all taken by photographer Stephen Power, bring us behind the scenes in the craft workshops of four makers. They first appeared in his book Traditional Notes: A Celebration of Irish Music and Musicians / Stephen Power, Dublin : The Liffey Press, 2011. The selections of Stephen’s text below accompanied the images in the book.

Malachy Kearns, bodhran

‘In Roundstone, Connemara, County Galway I discovered… Malachy Kearns… Malachy Bodhrán… a large affable man who seems to have a huge appetite for life and has become of the best known bodhrán makers in Ireland. Malachy started making bodhráns in 1976, training with Peadar Mercier of The Chieftains and made the bodhráns for Riverdance, and Christy Moore uses his drums – and the testimony from him “I kneel in prayer towards Roundstone” adorns a large photograph of the musician in Kearns’ large and always well-populated craft shop, where you can buy anything from a small hand-painted ornamental bodhrán to a full-sized professional standard instrument’.

Kuros Torkzadeh, fiddle

‘Born in Germany, Kuros Torkzadeh moved to Ireland in 1994. A Classically trained and enthusiastic musician, he has been crafting and making instruments for the last 15 years. Kuros studied at the Newark School of Violin Making where he obtained a Diploma and the certificate of City and Guilds. He then worked in a series of established workshops in England, France and Ireland gaining experience in the field of set-up work, sound adjustments and the general restoration of instruments. At the same time this gave him the opportunity to acquire his inspiration while carefully studying a variety of fine old instruments. Now based in Ballinderreen near Kinvara, Co Galway, he operates a workshop, Kuros Violins, specialising in making violins, violas and celli as well as fine restoration and repair’.

Michael Vignoles, uilleann pipes

‘Uilleann piper Michael Vignoles was born near Galway Bay and now lives and works in the Claddagh area of Galway city… Michael was immersed in music from a very early age. While growing up, he was an avid radio listener and became a fan of such bands as Planxty, The Chieftains and The Dubliners. In particular, the sound of Liam O’Flynn’s pipes made a serious impression on him. Michael undertook a five-year apprenticeship as a fitter at the Institute of the Motor Industry and around the time he qualified, he had got himself a set of uilleann pipes that he was learning to play. When the bellows broke on his set, he asked pipe maker Eugene Lambe from County Clare to make him another one. But instead, Eugene gave Michael the materials and told him to make it himself… he continued to become an established pipe maker in his own right. Pipe making is a slow and painstaking business, and it can take many weeks – if not much longer – to produce a full set of uilleann pipes’.

Paddy Clancy, accordion

‘Paddy Clancy was born in 1965 into a house steeped in the Irish music tradition. His father, Paddy Snr, who also plays the box, instilled a passion in his son for the instrument and its possibilities. A promising career in traditional Irish music began at the age of 14 with the award of Young Musician of the Year in 1979. Further accolades were soon to follow with Munster Senior competition titles in 1986, 1987 and 1988 and also in 1988. Paddy was crowned All-Ireland senior accordion champion at the Fleadh Cheoil in Kilkenny at the age of 23. This prestigious award provided Paddy with the opportunity to forge strong friendships and to travel on the Comhaltas tour of the USA and Canada in 1989. Paddy’s love of the music didn’t stop here; an interest in accordion construction and design led him to a career in accordion manufacturing and repair. This journey has finally lead Paddy to establish his own personal accordion range which he is proud to lend the family name to, the business is located at his family home in Ballingarry, County Limerick’.

With thanks to Stephen Power for permission to reproduce his images and text. The ITMA always welcomes such donations or the opportunity to copy such materials.

Nicholas Carolan & Treasa Harkin, 1 December 2013

I 1998 chuir TG4, an craoltóir teilifíse náisiúnta Ghaeilge, tús ar bhonn bliantúil le scéim nua aitheantais do cheoltóirí tradisiúnta. Bhí sé mar aidhm ag an stáisiún ‘ómós a thabhairt do laochra ceoil ár linne’, agus tá ag éirí go geal leis ó shin. Cuireann TG4 coiste ar bun gach bliain ar a mbíonn ceoltóirí, amhránaithe agus lucht teilifíse, agus is iadsan a dhéanann an cinneadh eatarthu féin faoi na buaiteoirí. Dhá ghradam a bhronntaí ar dtús, ceann do Ceoltóir na Bliana agus ceann do Ceoltóir Óg na Bliana, agus d’eagraítí ceolchoirm phoiblí ar leith mar ócáid a mbronnta. Chuaigh ranna na ngradam i líonmhaire diaidh ar ndiaidh. Ó 2001 bronnadh gradam d’Amhránaí na Bliana, do Cumadóir na Bliana agus do Banna na Bliana (nár leanadh leis), agus Gradam Saoil. Tháing ceann nua ar an bhfód i 2006: Gradam Comaoine, agus ceann eile i mbliana tar éis don ghradam do chumadóirí a bheith curtha ar ceal: Gradam Comharcheoil.

Tá grianghraif TG4 de na buaiteoiri go léir ó 1998 go 2014 bronnta ag an stáisiún ar Thaisce Cheol Dúchais Éireann, agus cead tugtha iad a chur ar fáil do chách anseo thíos. Beidh ceolchoirm phoiblí 2014 ar siúl in Ollscoil Luimnigh ar an Satharn 12 Aibreán, agus tá gach eolas faoi ar fáil anseo.

Gradam Ceoil, a new annual awards scheme designed to give recognition to traditional musicians was set up in 1998 by TG4, the national Irish-language television broadcaster, with the stated aim of doing honour to the traditional music heroes of our time. It has continued successfully since. Each year TG4 appoints a panel of musicians, singers and television makers to decide on the year’s winners. At first two awards were made, one for the Musician of the Year and one for the Young Musician of the Year, and a public concert was organised around the awards. Over time the number of award categories has increased. Since 2001 awards have been made for the Singer of the Year and Composer of the Year, and an award for Life Achievement. Band of the Year was awarded only in 2001. The Musicians’ Award was instituted in 2006, and this year an award for Musical Collaboration.

Copies of TG4’s photographs of all the award recipients have been donated by the station to the Irish Traditional Music Archive, and permission given to ITMA to present them here. This year’s public concert will be held in the University of Limerick on Saturday 12 April, and details will be found here.

Buíochas le foireann TG4, go háirithe le/ Thanks to the staff of TG4, especially to/ Bríd Ní Mhógáin, Nóirín Ní Chonghaile, Pádhraic Ó Ciardha & Pól Ó Gallchóir, agus buíochas le Cathal Goan.

Nicholas Carolan & Treasa Harkin, 1 April 2014

The button accordion, found in different tunings and with different numbers of buttons, is of course now one of the main instruments of Irish traditional music. It is also one of the more recent instruments to have been introduced for the playing of the music. While early forms of accordion were being sold in Ireland in the 1830s, it was the later 19th century before they began to come into the hands of traditional musicians, and it was the mid-20th century before they were very widely played by them.

The accordion images presented here from the collections of the Irish Traditional Music Archive range in date from the 1930s to the present day, but most are modern publicity photos by photographers unknown to us. Almost all are of two-row boxes, prominent among them instruments manufactured by the Paulo Soprani Company of Italy.

With thanks to photographers Stephen de Paoire, Danny Diamond, Orla Henihan, Tony Kearns, Brian Lawler, Aidan McGovern, Terry Moylan, Máire O’Keeffe, & Tom Sherlock for permission to publish the images. ITMA would welcome further information on any image.

Nicholas Carolan & Treasa Harkin, 1 April 2015

The Illustrated London News (ILN) was the world’s first illustrated weekly newspaper and was first published on Saturday, 14 May 1842. Published by Herbert Ingram, this Victorian publication reached a weekly circulation of over 300,000 copies, bringing news to life with detailed woodcut engravings depicting personalities and events of the day. Success brought other competitors to the market and in 1869, former ILN engraver William Luson Thomas launched The Graphic. These newspapers now provide the modern reader with a visual record of history including events relating to Ireland, and an insight into Victorian perceptions of the Irish.

We have digitised a selection of these illustrations taken from ITMA’s own newspaper collections.  These were published between 1844 and 1893 and depict or include Irish music, song, dance or musical instruments. Political parades featuring marching bands; banners & flags bearing a symbolic harp; St. Patrick’s Day celebrations; dancers and ballad singers as well as well-known musical figures such as Thomas Moore & George Petrie are among the selected images. Some are of a journalistic nature while others betray a more caricaturist approach to the depiction of the Irish during the 19th century.

The Illustrated London News ceased publication in 2003 and The Graphic in 1932.

The accompaniment of Irish traditional music and song as well as the range of instruments employed has evolved and expanded in pace with developments within the music itself. As accompanists continued to explore new avenues of expression, listening audiences have grown more appreciative of their impact on performance.

This gallery of photographs while spanning the decades is a modest selection of accompanists and their instruments from the ITMA image collection.

With thanks to Stephen Power, Dónal Lunny, Eve O’Kelly, Tony Kearns, Paul McCarthy and Danny Diamond for their permission to reproduce photographs.

The fifteen tracks in our audio playlist this month are a selected snapshot of newly composed tunes and songs commercially released by Irish traditional musicians and singers between autumn 2015 and spring 2016.  The collection highlights the wide spectrum and diversity present in contemporary Irish traditional music and song.  Performers/composers featured are Irish, Australian, English, Finnish, Polish and American and bring different approaches in terms of style, arrangement, instruments and sources of inspiration. This collection also highlights ITMA’s remit to collect traditional music in a broad and inclusive way reflective of each generation of performers.

Úna Ní Fhlannagáin is an award-winning harper-composer and singer from Co. Galway, Ireland. An instrumentalist of verve and imagination, she is rooted in diverse musical influences such as the dance music tradition of North Clare, the sean-nós singing style of Maigh Seola, the American post-minimalists and free jazz. She has performed her wildly energetic jigs and reels, delicate hornpipes and emotive slow airs throughout Ireland, Europe, North America and the Middle East, winning multiple prizes at the All-Ireland Fleadh, Keadue International Harp Festival, Oireachtas, O’Carolan Harp Festival, and Granard Harp Festival along the way. While studying for a first-class honours university degree, she branched into jazz and contemporary music, studying and performing with Anthony Braxton, the legendary free jazz musician and composer. Since then she’s won a commission from the World Harp Congress, had one of her pieces published by Cairde na Cruite, and performed her own compositions in Ireland, Croatia, Canada and the U.S., and performed with Grammy Award winner Bobby McFerrin. Úna strives to mine the richness of her native tradition, explore the potential of her instrument, and respectfully engage with other genres… in short, to play music which makes you feel good.

The ITMA audio field-recording programme began in March 1992. Between then and the end of 1993, twenty-seven recording sessions had been carried out, in Clare, Galway, Tipperary and Donegal.

As well as collecting all the contemporary and historic materials of Irish traditional music which are published by others, the Irish Traditional Music Archive has, for the past twenty years, also been creating new documentary recordings of the music on location, ‘in the field’. It now normally makes these recordings on digital video, or simultaneously on video and audio; in its earliest years, for reasons of cost, it made audio recordings only. Thousands of recordings have been made to date, and these are available within ITMA for public listening and viewing. The rights to the recordings remain otherwise with the performers.

The ITMA audio field-recording programme was begun in March 1992 (shortly after it had moved from its first office at 6 Eustace St in Temple Bar, Dublin, to new premises at 63 Merrion Square where it was officially opened). Between then and the end of 1993, twenty-seven recording sessions had been carried out, in Clare, Galway, Tipperary and Donegal. ITMA recordists in the period were Jackie Small (now ITMA Sound Archivist, seen above left recording at the Willie Clancy Summer School with ITMA co-founder Harry Bradshaw, RTÉ Radio) in Clare, Galway and Tipperary; Lillis Ó Laoire and Packie McGinley in Donegal; and Aidan McGovern and Nicholas Carolan also in Donegal (including Fermanagh singers and musicians).

Below is a selection of those recordings from the ITMA collections which were made by Jackie Small in 1992–93 in Cos Clare and Galway. They feature music, song and oral history, in Clare from Joe Bane, John & Paddy Killourhy, and P.J. Hayes, and in Galway from Danny Smith and Pat Keane.

With thanks to all the performers.

Nicholas Carolan, Danny Diamond & Jackie Small, 1 August 2012

Joe Burke of Kilnadeema, Loughrea, Co Galway, will be forever remembered as one of the most influential accordion players of his time. His lifelong passion for Irish traditional music was infectious to anyone who had the good fortune to speak or play with him.

As well as being an outstanding traditional musician, he was extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of the music, its history and development. In addition to the release of many outstanding recordings, his long and productive career included performance, teaching, and the presenting of concerts and programmes on both radio and television.

Renowned for his humour and wit, Joe was excellent company.

Speaking to him on the phone earlier this week, the conversation ranged from Michael Coleman to Fritz Kreisler to Albert Einstein and we were even interrupted at one point by a barking Patsy Touhey —Joe’s pet dog!

Liam O’Connor, ITMA Director, February 2021

Ever generous, Joe in recent months worked with ITMA on making previously unreleased private recordings of Michael Coleman available to the public. His acetates were digitised, preserved and shared with the public on Valentine’s Day 2021. On the RTÉ Radio 1 Rolling Wave programme on 14 February, Joe spoke about his relief and excitement at having delivered on one of his final musical ambitions.

I have treasured these recordings all these years. The release of these highly rare recordings is a dream come true for me and I am very happy to be a part of it.

Joe Burke, February 2021

Breandán Ó Madagáin, Ollamh Emeritus le Gaeilge in Ollscoil Éireann Gaillimh agus iar-bhall de Bhord na Taisce. Bhí cónaí air i gCill Cholgáin i gCo. na Gaillimhe. D’fhreastail sé ar bhord bunaigh na Taisce ó 1987 go 1990, agus b’eisean a chuir Gaeilge ar ainm na Taisce.

Rugadh Breandán i Luimneach. Scoláire, taighdeoir, scríbhneoir agus léachtóir ab ea é a chaith an tréimhse 1966–75 ina léachtóir le Gaeilge i gColáiste na hOllscoile Bhaile Átha Cliath, agus an tréimhse 1975–97 mar Ollamh le Gaeilge in Ollscoil Éireann Gaillimh. Bhí sé ina bhall d’Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann agus ó 1995 go 2005 ina chathaoirleach ar Bhord Scoil an Léinn Cheiltigh in Institúid Ard-Léinn Bhaile Átha Cliath.

Mar scoláire agus mar mhúinteoir, seachas an tsuim a bhí aige i léann na Gaeilge i Luimneach agus sa cheantar máguaird, bhí dúil ar leith aige sa cheol dúchais agus go háirithe san amhránaíocht dúchais. Bhunaigh sé cúrsaí ceannródaíocha idirdhisiplíneacha san amhránaíocht in Ollscoil Éireann Gaillimh a mheall amhránaithe agus scoláirí, agus rinne sé taighde in Albain ar an amhránaíocht dúchais ansin. Bhí sé den tuairim láidir, tuairim a chuir sé i gcló go minic, go raibh an ceol lárnach i bhfilíocht na Gaeilge – idir fhilíocht shiollach na mbard, fhilíocht aiceanta na bhfilí a tháinig ina ndiaidh, agus chaointeoireacht dúchais – agus nach féidir í a thuiscint i gceart gan an ceol a chur san áireamh. Scríobh sé altanna ceannródaíocha leis ar fheidhm shóisialta na hamhránaíochta dúchais. I measc an iliomad leabhar agus altanna a chuir sé i gcló tá An Ghaeilge i Luimneach;(1974), Gnéithe den Chaointeoireacht;(1978), ‘Irish Vocal Music of Lament and Syllabic Verse’ (1981), ‘Ceol a Chanadh Eoghan Mór Ó Comhraí’ (1983), ‘Functions of Irish Song in the Nineteenth Century’ (1985), ‘Echoes of Magic in the Gaelic Song Tradition’ (1992), ‘An Ceol a Ligeann an Racht’ (1992), ‘Song for Emotional Release in Gaelic Tradition’ (1993), ‘Coibhneas na Filíochta leis an gCeol, 1700–1900’ (2000), ‘Eugene O’Curry 1794–1862: Pioneer of Irish Scholarship’ (2008). I 2005 d’fhoilsigh sé an leabhar dhá-theangach Caointe agus Seancheolta Eile / Keening and Other Old Irish Musics; ar an dlúthdhiosca a ghabhann leis tá Breandán le cloisint ag canadh.

Déanann Bord agus foireann Taisce Cheol Dúchais Éireann comhbhrón lena chéile Claire agus lena gclann uilig.

Breandán Ó Madagáin was Professor Emeritus of Irish in the National University of Ireland Galway and a former member of the Board of the Archive. He lived in Kilcolgan, Co. Galway. He had served on the founding board of the Archive from 1987 to 1990, and had given the Archive the Irish form of its name.

Born in Limerick, Breandán was a scholar, researcher, writer and lecturer who spent the period 1966–75 as a lecturer in Irish in University College Dublin, and the period 1975–97 as Professor of Irish in the National University of Ireland Galway. He was a member of the Royal Irish Academy and from 1995 to 2005 had been the chair of the Board of the School of Celtic Studies in the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies.

As a scholar and teacher, Breandán had a particular interest in Irish traditional music and especially in traditional song, and also in the study of Irish-language learning and literature in the Limerick region. He established pioneering interdisciplinary university courses in Irish traditional song in Galway which attracted singers and scholars, and carried out research in Scotland on traditional singing there. It was his firm opinion, frequently expressed in print, that music is central to Irish-language poetry – the syllabic poetry of the bards, the stressed poetry of the poets who followed them, and traditional keens – and that the poetry cannot be fully understood without taking music into consideration. He was a pioneer also in writing on the social functions of traditional song. Among his many books and articles are An Ghaeilge i Luimneach (1974), Gnéithe den Chaointeoireacht (1978), ‘Irish Vocal Music of Lament and Syllabic Verse’ (1981), ‘Ceol a Chanadh Eoghan Mór Ó Comhraí’ (1983), ‘Functions of Irish Song in the Nineteenth Century’ (1985), ‘Echoes of Magic in the Gaelic Song Tradition’ (1992), ‘An Ceol a Ligeann an Racht’ (1992), ‘Song for Emotional Release in Gaelic Tradition’ (1993), ‘Coibhneas na Filíochta leis an gCeol, 1700–1900’ (2000), ‘Eugene O’Curry 1794–1862: Pioneer of Irish Scholarship’ (2008). In 2005 he published the bilingual book Caointe agus Seancheolta Eile / Keening and Other Old Irish Musics; on the accompanying CD Breandán can be heard singing.

As Casla i gConamara dó ó dhúchas, oideachasóir ab ea Liam, ina mhúinteoir bunscoile ar dtús agus ina stiúrthóir ar Theanglann UCD ó 1979 go 1996. Iriseoir agus craoltóir ab ea é leis, ag obair i seomra nuachta RTÉ ó na 1960í agus ag léamh na nuachta ar an stáisiún. Ina dhiaidh sin bhí sé ina chathaoirleach le fada ar an gclár teanga Leagan Cainte ar Raidió na Gaeltachta. I measc na bhfoilseachán a scríobh sé nó a d’aistrigh sé bhí go háirithe leabhair a bhain le saol, tíreolaíocht agus cultúr Chonamara.

Bhí suim ar leith aige san amhránaíocht ar an sean-nós, é féin ina amhránaí cumasach agus é i gcónaí ag cur daoine eile ag gabháil fhoinn, go minic ag an Oireachtas, féile a raibh se ina uachtarán uirthi i 2009. Bhí sé ina bhall den choiste a chuir an fhéile cheannródaíoch Sean-Nós Cois Life ar siúl i 1992, agus bronnadh Gradam na heagraíochta sin air i 2015. Ceann dá mhór-shaothair ab ea beathaisnéis amhránaí ar an sean-nós – Seosamh Ó hÉanaí: Nár Fhágha Mé Bás Choíche (2009) – agus scríobh sé aistí tagartha go leor don chnuasach Leabhar Mór na nAmhrán (2013). Chaith Liam dhá thréimhse ar Bhord na Taisce, 1995–1997 agus 2000–2002.

A native of Casla, Conamara, Liam was an educationalist, a primary teacher at first and the director of the Teanglann language laboratory in University College Dublin from 1979 to 1996. He was also a journalist and broadcaster, working from the 1960s in the newsroom of RTÉ and reading the news on the station. He was later chair of the long-running language programme Leagan Cainte on Raidió na Gaeltachta. Among the publications he authored or translated were especially books on the life, geography and culture of Conamara.

Liam had a particular interest in traditional singing in Irish. A fine singer himself, he constantly encouraged other singers, often at the Oireachtas, the national cultural festival of which he was president in 2015. He was a member of the committee which founded the pioneering Dublin singing festival Sean-Nós Cois Life in 1992, and was awarded its Gradam in 2015. One of his main publications was the biography of a traditional singer – Seosamh Ó hÉanaí: Nár Fhágha Mé Bás Choíche (2009) – and he was a major contributor to the song anthology Leabhar Mór na nAmhrán (2013). He spent two periods on the Bord of the Archive, 1995–1997 and 2000–2002.

WRITTEN BY Nicholas Carolan, 10 May 2019

Claire Keville was born in Co. Galway. She is a multi instrumenatlist but is probably best known as a concertina player and composer, pl;aying in the distinctive East Galway style. Her formal music qualification comes from UCC and she has spent time as a broadcaster and TV presenter.

Úna Ní Fhlannagáin is an award-winning harper-composer and singer from Co. Galway, Ireland. An instrumentalist of verve and imagination, she is rooted in diverse musical influences such as the dance music tradition of North Clare, the sean-nós singing style of Maigh Seola, the American post-minimalists and free jazz. She has performed her wildly energetic jigs and reels, delicate hornpipes and emotive slow airs throughout Ireland, Europe, North America and the Middle East, winning multiple prizes at the All-Ireland Fleadh, Keadue International Harp Festival, Oireachtas, O’Carolan Harp Festival, and Granard Harp Festival along the way. While studying for a first-class honours university degree, she branched into jazz and contemporary music, studying and performing with Anthony Braxton, the legendary free jazz musician and composer. Since then she’s won a commission from the World Harp Congress, had one of her pieces published by Cairde na Cruite, and performed her own compositions in Ireland, Croatia, Canada and the U.S., and performed with Grammy Award winner Bobby McFerrin. Úna strives to mine the richness of her native tradition, explore the potential of her instrument, and respectfully engage with other genres… in short, to play music which makes you feel good.

Mary Bergin is a whistle player from Shankill, Co. Dublin. Her mother played fiddle, her father melodeon. She picked up the whistle at nine, having heard Willie Clancy play in an Oireachtas concert in Dublin.. She picked up the whistle at nine, having heard Willie Clancy play in an Oireachtas concert in Dublin. Influenced by visiting musicians (Kathleen Harrington, Paddy Hill and Elizabeth Crotty in particular), and by local and fleadh sessions in the 1960s (in Blackrock with her harper sister Antoinette, fiddlers Joe Liddy and Sean O’Dwyer); whistle player Terry Horan also informed her playing. She played in the Claremen’s Club in Church Street, Dublin and the Thomas Street Pipers’ Club sessions, and learned too from observation of such as singer Nioclás Tóibín in Ring and Willie Clancy in Miltown Malbay while on family holidays.

She took part in CCÉ tours of Britain with, among others, Liam O’Flynn and Matt Molloy, and in the USA with such as Séamus Begley, Joe Burke and James Kelly. She worked for Radio Éireann in Henry St., Dublin, then CCÉ in Monkstown before moving to Spiddal where she now teaches the whistle. She played with the Green Linnet Céilí Band (Dublin: Mick Hand, flute, Tommy Peoples and Liam Rowsome, fiddles, Johnny McMahon, accordion), with Éamon de Buitléar’s Ceoltóirí Laighean, and for a time with De Dannan. She has also toured with her sister Antoinette, who performs with whistle and uilleann pipes player Joe McKenna. She has played much with bouzouki player Alec Finn, and now tours with the group Dordán.

Brightly ornamented but uncluttered, her playing is distinctive with a crisp articulation, and was the role model for two decades of whistle players. Her first solo album, Feadóga Stáin, in 1979, is still definitive; Feadóga Stáin 2 came in 1989, and she has recorded several albums with Dordán. In 2000 she was awarded TG4’s Gradam Ceoil for Traditional Musician of the year.

Carl Hession is well known as a piano accompanist in traditional music for many years, performing alongside Frankie Gavin, Joe Derrane and The Moving Cloud as well as many others.. Carl Hession is well known as a piano accompanist in traditional music for many years, performing alongside Frankie Gavin, Joe Derrane and The Moving Cloud as well as many others. He is also a composer and orchestral arranger having worked with The Boston Pops, The Dubai Symphony, The Liverpool Philharmonic and next September with The Monaco Philharmonic.

During his lifetime he has spent 35 years teaching music at Coláiste Iognaid in Galway as well as lecturing at NUIG. His father Mike was also a well known traditional musician playing uilleann pipes, fiddle and tin whistle. The Hession house in Salthill was well known for its traditional sessions and people like Willie Clancy, Seamus Ennis, Ted Furey, John Kelly, Leo Rowsome, Joe Burke as well as countless others were regular visitors. From these sessions Carl began to accompany Joe Burke and went on to win The All Ireland Trio with Joe and Kathleen Collins.

After spending most of his early life playing traditional piano he then branched out to both classical and jazz piano. He studied for his ALCM and LLCM with London College of Music and won The William Lloyd Webber gold medal for his LLCM results. He also played jazz piano and recorded with world renowned violinist Stephanie Grapelli and guitarist Louis Stewart. He went on to study for a B.Mus degree in UCC with Professor Fleischmann and in his final year with Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin. In the past few years he has composed many tunes in a traditional style as well as writing orchestral classical compositions. In his compositions he delves into the knowledge he has gained from his traditional, classical and jazz experiences.

A Tribute to Lad O’Beirne, reel / composed by Charlie Lennon