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Tag Archives: traditional music

Community laments passing of Frank Custy

Frank Custy, one of the major figures in Clare traditional music, passed away last week, with his funeral taking place on Sunday and Monday. As a teacher Frank inspired many young people to take up music and Toonagh National School where he worked became renowned for its promotion of traditional Irish music and singing. Among those who learned music at the school were Sean Conway and Mary Custy while Sharon and Gary Shannon also learned their trades during classes organised outside school hours. Frank was also a hurler, and won a Harty Cup with St Flannan’s in 1957. He was the goalkeeper on the Ruan hurling teams that won senior county championships in 1959, 1960 and 1962. He was also a selector when the club reached the 1988 county final. A tribute to him published on social media by Ruan GAA Club lauded his contribution to the community, “Frank was synonymous with life in Toonagh for over half a century. …

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GALLERY: Record attendances at Feakle Festival

MORE than 6,000 people flocked to North East Clare for the 35th Feakle Festival, which wrapped up, leaving audiences and organisers “exhausted but very happy”, last Monday (August 8).  After two years of virtual events, visitors from all over Ireland, Europe, the US and as far afield as Japan descended on the village for what has been described as “out of this world”.  Local publican and member of the organising committee, Gary Pepper, said any worries about competition with the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Mullingar were quickly set aside. “It seems that the word went around at the Fleadh that Feakle was hopping,” he said.   “So, lots of people left the Fleadh and came here and it really added to the event in terms of the quality of the music. We expected a good festival, but it was a bit like preparing for an All-Ireland final with the Fleadh up against us. It seems that, if the Fleadh …

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West Clare musician appointed to UCC 

LISSYCASEY native and virtuoso concertina player, Dr Jack Talty has been appointed to the staff of University College Cork (UCC). The multi award winning performer, composer, producer and educator has a diverse range of academic interest and will join the staff of The Department of Music, as a Lecturer in Irish Traditional Music. Dr Talty is the founder of the traditional music label, Raelach Records, and, as a performer has travelled extensively throughout Europe, the United States, Australia, and Asia. To-date, he has contributed to over 80 albums to date as a musician, producer, composer, arranger, and engineer, most notably with Ensemble Eriu. A Licentiate of the London College of Music, and a BA and BMus graduate of University College Cork, Dr Talty has been awarded the Mary V Hart Memorial Award; The Seán Ó Riada Memorial Award; a UCC Societies Guild Bene Merenti award, and a UCC Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann award.  He holds an MA in Music Technology from …

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East Clare mourns the passing of Dun Purcell

HEART-FELT tributes have been paid to the late Feakle singer and poet Dun Purcell who passed away in his 99th year on Saturday (August 14). Dun, who was a native of Bauregegaun, was a much-loved character with a wide circle of relatives, friends and admirers of his talent, wit and care for his community. Having battled Covid-19, which he recovered from earlier of this year, Dun demonstrated huge spirit – one that had already seen him overcome the threats of TB and Scarlet Fever in his youth in East Clare. His contribution to life in Feakle and the wider community have been very fondly remembered in recent days. A renowned singer, Dun handed the musical tradition down to his family, with his daughter Kate an accomplished folk singer and guitarist. He was a popular participant at musical gatherings of all kinds in the area. Dun was a life-long volunteer in a host of ways in his local community and was …

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Arts community get creative in the face of Covid-19 restrictions

CLARE’S vibrant arts sector is the envy of many counties. Renowned globally for its traditional music, the Banner county not only produces some of the finest creative talents, it also attracts musicians, dancers and artists who come here for inspiration and in the hope that a thriving artistic scene will support them in making a living on the path less travelled. Now, in the context of ongoing pandemic restrictions, access to audiences at venues like galleries, concert venues and pubs, and to collaborators, is shut down, for now. So too are vital income streams. While some government support is available in the form of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, as well as a COVID-19 Crisis Response Award from the Arts Council, many are facing serious set-backs financially and creatively. Renowned Newmarket-based visual artist Philip Brennan faced the extraordinary experience recently of having a freshly-installed exhibition hanging in empty halls behind the doors of a locked building. After more than two decades …

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Pat Costello: A Man For All Seasons

BY Bríd Costello THE world of traditional music lost one of its staunchest champions with the passing of Patrick Joseph Costello earlier this month. A well-known broadcaster and musician, Pat went by almost as many names as he had passions. Known as Patrick, Paddy, Packie, P, Daddy or Grandad, depending on who he was speaking to at the time, he was a polymath whose breadth of knowledge touched a vast number of subjects ranging from mechanics and information technology to art, poetry and philosophy. And what he didn’t know, he was eager to learn. Born in 1947, in the parish of Moycarkey, County Tipperary, Pat was the firstborn child of Molly and Jerry Costello. He developed a love for music at a very early age and often reminisced about his first instrument – an upturned biscuit tin and a pair of knives. “There was always rhythm. It was never noise,” says his sister Peggy, adding their mother Molly bought Pat …

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Tulla Comhaltas Members Stay In Tune Despite Crisis

TULLA Comhaltas are making sure younger members stay in tune, while their regular music lessons and band practice sessions remain suspended as the Covid-19 crisis continues. The organisation, which has up to 100 members in the under-18 age category, has been inviting its junior musicians to record performances in their homes and share them on the Tulla Comhaltas Facebook page. The activity has proven hugely popular with audiences worldwide and has been instrumental in keeping young musicians busy and learning while the lock-down continues. The initiative is the brain-child of Youth Officer Aisling Hunt, who, up to the advent of the crisis, had been busy training junior members for Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, the All-Ireland Fleadh. “At the moment, there are no individual lessons going on, no group practices and no sessions,” she explained. “We don’t know if or when the Fleadh will take place. That was scheduled for August in Mullingar, but it’s now postponed. Our young members had …

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Michael Flatley Opens Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann

  The crowds came out in force again this year as Michael Flatley opened Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Ennis for 2017. Ahead of playing a tune on flute, accompanied by his friend Ger Fahy, Michael Flatley told of his love for music and dance and commended the organisers for putting on another wonderful festival this year. He paid tribute to Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann for all the work they do and for bringing music into his life. “Labhras Ó Murchú who was dear friends with my father, God rest his soul, brought music to Chicago when I was a young man and I can never say thank you enough. Thank you to Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann because they brought that little ray of sunshine into our lives, they are the ones who got me started playing music. I’m sure most of you here would have benefitted in some way from that wonderful organisation,” he said.  Reflecting on his family, who encouraged …

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