The Bridge Mills, Nun’s Island, and University Road are well-known to Galwegians, and collectively comprise a small contiguous area in the west of the city – an area which I’ve criss-crossed for almost my entire life – from my primary school days onward, and right throughout my 35 year teaching career in the neighbouring Sea Road.
The span of the route, from the Mills to the very end of University Road, represents no more than a leisurely 10 minute stroll, and the area has retained much of its old-world charm during my lifetime.
Notable landmarks on the route include the majestic Galway Cathedral and the Eglington canal which connects Lough Corrib and Galway Bay.
The Bridge Mills, Nun’s Island, and University Road are well-known to Galwegians, and collectively comprise a small contiguous area in the west of the city – an area which I’ve criss-crossed for almost my entire life – from my primary school days onward, and right throughout my 35 year teaching career in the neighbouring Sea Road.
The span of the route, from the Mills to the very end of University Road, represents no more than a leisurely 10 minute stroll, and the area has retained much of its old-world charm during my lifetime.
Notable landmarks on the route include the majestic Galway Cathedral and the Eglington canal which connects Lough Corrib and Galway Bay.
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.
