Tag Archives: Martin Hayes

FRIENDS, family and fans of the late Dennis Cahill, will gather on Saturday night in Feakle to honour the renowned musician. A long-time musical collaborator with fiddle player Martin Hayes, the two men have played at some of the world’s most prestigious venues and toured extensively. Together, they breathed fresh life into a diverse traditional music repertoire and founded the acclaimed five piece, The Gloaming. For more than two decades, Dennis joined Martin as he returned home to his native Maghera and the Chicago native became part of the Hayes family and a valued member of East Clare’s musical community.  “Saturday evening in Pepper’s will be a moment for people to come together and to remember Dennis,” Martin said. “It will be informal, in the same way that Dennis was. Music brought him to Feakle and the festival. East Clare made a big impression on him and the event will give people here the chance to talk and chat and …

A CLARE version of the first folk song to ever have been mentioned in literature is included in a new illustrated songbook of traditional Irish songs for children. The song ‘The Frog and the Mouse’ also provides the title for Wexford traditional singer Aileen Lambert’s book, which features the lyrics of 14 songs accompanied by suggested activities, fun facts and other information. Activity pages include word-searches, a crossword and music notation, all linked to the songs. Primary school teachers will be interested in the curriculum links section so that they can integrate the song into various subjects they are teaching. The book features a few well known songs such as the Rattlin’ Bog, I’ll Tell Me Ma and Colcannon, however the rest are not so well known. They consist mostly of songs which Aileen has been singing with children across the country and beyond for the past 15 years as part of the Heritage-in-Schools Scheme and Music Generation. However, Aileen …

RENOWNED East Clare fiddle player Martin Hayes, has published an eagerly-awaited memoir detailing his remarkable musical journey. Described as “profoundly moving,” the book is entitled Shared Notes. It traces Martin’s early days learning music from his legendary father P Joe, through his meteoric rise in traditional music circles, to his modern-day collatorations and the founding of Irish-American trad sensation, The Gloaming
. Now one of Ireland’s most treasured traditional musicians, Martin, who lives in Spain, was born in Maghera. As he grew up, life revolved around the famous Tulla Céilí Band, co-founded by his father in 1946. The household was steeped in musical tradition. In a 1960s kitchen with no refrigerator, where the food came straight from the family farm, a session could start at any moment. Ireland’s greatest traditional musicians regularly turned up unannounced and were welcomed in. At the age of 13, Martin won his first of six All-Ireland Fiddle Championships. In later years, he was named TG4’s Gradam …

FROM Camden Town to Carnegie Hall and from the Fleadhanna ‘down in Ennis’ to the Body and Soul stage at Electric Picnic, the Tulla Céilí Band has captivated audiences of all kinds for the last three-quarters of a century. Over the course of its illustrious history, the band has brought the tunes of East Clare to prominence in Ireland’s musical repertoire. It has also fostered some of the country’s finest traditional players, including West Clare legends like Willie Clancy and JC Talty. At one point, it even counted a TD as a member, in the person of the long-serving Fianna Fáil representative, Feakle’s Dr Bill Loughnane. The story of the Tulla Céilí Band is closely woven into the history of modern Ireland. It was formed in March 1946, in the lean times after ‘The Emergency’, when the bicycle was the dominant mode of transport and social life didn’t stretch far beyond parish boundaries. Chris Keane, in his book on the …

THE 34th annual Feakle Festival gets underway on Thursday (August 5) with a programme that brings together some of the country’s finest musical talent and well-loved local performers. For the second year in a row, the festival is largely online, with all performances available for streaming, free-of-charge on social channels. Festival organisers have been working hard to create an exciting programme which will reach an international virtual audience. “Hopefully, things will return to normal for 2022,” said Gary Pepper of the festival committee. “It’s great that things are now slowly beginning to come back around. Recently, Cormac Begley did a concert by the shores of Lough Graney, for 50 people and it was wonderful. There was a session afterwards with Mark Donnellan outside Pepper’s. “For many of those taking part in the festival, though, this will be their first gig of the year. They’re like children, they’re so excited about it.” The festival will open with a gala concert at …

The musical genius of Clare fiddler Martin Hayes has been acknowledged in his selection as the first recipient of a prestigious new award at the University of Limerick. UL has announced a new three-year arts patronage award through the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance. The Irish World Academy Artist, will facilitate the creative process of selected artists across a three-year period through a budget of €60,000. Martin Hayes, the first recipient, has been internationally acclaimed for bringing his local East Clare traditional fiddle style to a global audience through his many performances and recording. The Irish World Academy Artist at the University of Limerick will undertake a series of creative projects across the three-year span. Students of the academy will have access to open workshops in the building on the banks of the river Shannon on the University Campus. Professor Don Barry, president of UL, said, “It is fitting that an artist of the stature of Martin Hayes should …

THE 27th Feakle Festival of Traditional Music came to an end on Monday but the memories will  live on for locals and visitors alike. GaryPepper was involved in its organisation and, as the dust was settling, he was exuberant about how well things had gone. “It was a total success. The crowds were similar to last year and maybe a little bit bigger than last year. It was very well supported, the concerts, céilís and recitals all had more people at them than last year,” he said. He added that people had travelled from far and wide to attend the event and there were numerous musical highlights. “It was a fabulous festival, the atmosphere was absolutely brilliant. The general warm feeling that we’ve had in the last number of years was there again this year. We had people from all over the world, all followers of the music, who came to listen and play and enjoy and participate. All in all, …