Hits keep on coming for Tulla Trad

Performances for this September’s Tulla Trad Festival have recently been announced and among those taking to the festival stage are the Chapel Gate wren boys, Darren Breslin, the Mulcahys, the Kane Sisters, Vincent Griffin and Eileen O’Brien.

The annual event runs this year from September 7 to 9 with the official opening being performed by Clare FM’s Paula Carroll, following a paraded entrance by the Chapel Gate wren boys from Cooraclare.

 

Workshops will be held at St Joseph’s Secondary School in Tulla on Saturday, September 8, with a host of well known tutors, including Sibeal Davitt, one of the judges on TG4’s Feis and Blood. Sibeal has not only agreed to come to Tulla not as a tutor of sean nós dancing, she will also be amongst the performers at a celebrity concert to be held that Saturday night.
Fermanagh born traditional B/C button-accordion player Darren Breslin will also be a tutor as well as performing at the festival.

Another household act participating in the festivities are the Mulcahys of Abbeyfeale. Mick, Michelle and Louise play a dazzling array of instruments between them but it’s the sweetness and tunefulness of their ensemble playing that is most striking. They will all perform at the main concert, while Michelle will tutor the concertina workshop and Louise will tutor for the flute workshop.

Another coup for this year’s festival are the Kane Sisters, Liz and Yvonne from North Connemara, taught music by their grandfather, local fiddle player, Jimmy Mullen and Mary Finn, a Sligo musician and teacher, the two will also be tutors.

Banjo enthusiasts will be in for a special treat as Angelina Carberry comes to East Clare to tutor the banjo workshop as well as performing. Angelina has developed a highly personal style with unique rhythmical characteristics.

Brian O’Rourke will give his wonderful rendition of Chantal De Champignon at the celebrity concert, while renowned fiddle player Vincent Griffin, who is president of Tulla Comhaltas, will once again be amongst the guests at this concert. Musicians will be accompanied by Mary Corry on piano and Michael Landers on guitar.

There will also be a very eagerly awaited CD launch taking place that weekend when Nenagh fiddle player, Eileen O’Brien, launches her CD Aon le on the Sunday evening at Minogues.
Dancers are also well catered for with Larry McEvoy performing on the Friday night for an opening ceilí, followed by the Céilí Mór on Saturday with The Five Counties Céilí Band in St Joseph’s Secondary School Hall.

Mark Donnellan, Jim Corry and Charlie Harris will once again provide the music for the closing céilí at Minogues on the Sunday night.

There are sessions in all the pubs over the weekend, among them a session with the Mulcahys at Powerhouse on the Friday night, while Robbie McMahon and Norah Butler will lead a singing session at Teach Ól at midday on the Sunday. Furthermore Darren Breslin and guests will be at Minogues on Sunday afternoon.

Full details are available online at www.tullatradfestival.ie, or call the festival co-ordinator on 087 1473385.