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.