Clare céilí band featured on TG4

SONAS Productions presents Stair na mBannaí Céilí, a new traditional music series for TG4 that discovers the history of céilí bands in Ireland. The four-part bilingual documentary series discovers how the céilí band first came into existence in Ireland, who was responsible for its development and the extraordinary impact that the céilí band has had on traditional Irish music over the last hundred years.
The programme follows the fleadh campaigns of two céilí bands – Clare band Ceoltóirí na Mainstreach, led by John Rynne and Fermanagh band, The Knockmore Céilí Band.
The series follows the two bands over a number of months as they prepare to compete in the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil senior céilí band competition in Cavan last year.
Stair na mBannaí Céilí is filled with great traditional music, rare archive material and many informative interviews from some of traditional music’s leading experts. As Martin Hayes described in his interview, “Céilí band music was like a farmer’s version of a punk band”.
The series continues on TG4 this Sunday at 10pm and you can catch a repeat of the first programme in the series this Friday at 8pm, also on TG4.