Tag Archives: traditional music

TWO members of Moxie, who will play at Glór on August 20, were ironically once kicked out of the Fleadh Cheoil. Ted Kelly and his brother Jos got the red card when they showed more innovation than was welcome. Despite this, he is still broadly positive about the whole extravaganza. “We’ve (members of Moxie) been many times. We’ve qualified for fleadhs, some of us have won fleadhs. It’s gas craic. It’s a great thing, it really pushes kids to become better at music. “The only thing is there should be a little more leeway for freedom in things like duets. You’re not allowed do certain ornamentations, you’re not allowed play harmonies, it doesn’t give kids the freedom to arrange music. Then they go and hear people like Seamie O’Dowd, Mairtín O’Connor and Cathal Hayden, those three lads playing together. For me and my brother Jos, those three were a huge influence and we wanted to learn to play like them. …

Clare County Council is to host two free traditional singing workshops during Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Ennis next week. The workshops, which offer young singers the opportunity to experience County Clare’s rich singing tradition, take place at the De Valera Public Library in Ennis from 10.30am to midday on Tuesday and Wednesday. The sessions will also feature demonstrations of traditional songs and style by John Flanagan and Elle Marie O’Dwyer. Tuesday’s workshop will be facilitated by Corofin native John Flanagan, who is nephew of the renowned singers Sarah and Rita Keane in Galway. Elle Marie O’Dwyer, a primary school teacher from Cork, who is currently pursuing a Masters in Irish Traditional Music Performance, will host the Wednesday session. Siobhán Mulcahy, Clare Arts Officer, said “We believe these workshops will complement the existing traditional singing classes provided at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann by Comhaltas, with the intention of attracting more young people to traditional singing either as singers or listeners.”

With Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2016 in Ennis only a matter of weeks away, The Clare Champion has produced a car sticker to highlight the county’s rich traditional music heritage. “The Banner – home of traditional music”, is the catchphrase on the must-have car sticker, available free with this week’s Clare Champion on Thursday. Displaying this car stick will be an endorsement of your pride in the Fleadh returning to Clare after a long wait.

ST Joseph’s Secondary School in Tulla were this week treated to a lunchtime concert by a young group of visiting traditional musicians from Vermont in the United States. The Young Tradition Touring Group, made up of 19 musicians aged between 12 and 19, are currently touring the West of Ireland and have stopped in Clare for performances in The Powerhouse in Tulla, Pepper’s and Shortt’s in Feakle. The group play North American traditional tunes, as well as Appalachian music, Cajun and some bluegrass. They also dance during their performances. The musicians are being hosted in Clare by Mary MacNamara and her group of young East Clare musicians. As part of this, they performed a lunchtime concert in the secondary school in Tulla on Wednesday for students and teachers. Students at St Joseph’s also played music, sang and danced for the visiting group. Most of the visiting group members are from Vermont, although a few hail from as far as Maine, …

FIFTY-five years ago this month, the West Clare Railway was trundling towards Moyasta from Shragh when the driver started pumping the breaks. The train was packed and en route to the County Fleadh in Kilrush, which will be held in the town again later this month. Among those on board were the U-14 Shragh Flagellate and Accordion Band. The Whelan brothers, Frank and Joe Joe, were seated on the train when it ground to a sudden halt. “We heard the hooter blowing and we just pulled up,” Frank recounted. “I stuck my head out the window. There was a cow on the track with the calf sucking the cow. We sat there until the cow walked away when the calf was finished.” Their adventurous journey to Kilrush wasn’t over. The train pulled into Moyasta Station and was next due in Kilkee. However, a technical issue in Kilkee meant the West Clare Railway couldn’t turn there. “The roundabout in Kilkee wasn’t …

THE economic spin-off for Ennis, as the host town for Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2016, could be worth up to €60 million. The figure has been arrived at based on independent assessments conducted after recent Fleadh events. Hundreds of Clare businesses are already tuning up to receive a windfall ranging from €40m to €60m, when Ennis stages the Fleadh in August 2016, according to the findings of economic evaluations compiled by Fáilte Ireland and independent consultants. While Ennis will be the main economic beneficiary, most towns and villages around the county will also benefit from Fleadh dividends, as Irish musical events are held in traditional strongholds, such as Tulla, Kilfenora, Feakle, Corofin, Ennistymon, Doolin, Miltown Malbay and Kilrush, as well as Shannon and Sixmilebridge. Ennis hosted the festival in 1956 and 1977 and hopes are high that it will secure it for a second successive year, following another presentation to Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Ard Comhairle in March 2016, when a decision …

The third annual  Féile Cnoc na Gaoithe gets underway in Tulla on the last weekend of this month. Celebrating fiddle music, with fiddle workshops, competitions and recitals, the cast is headed up by the legendary fiddle-player, Maurice Lennon, with Liam O’Connor, Anton MacGabhann, Bernadette Nic Gabhann and local legendary fiddle-player, Vincent Griffin. The festival highlights include a performance by Maurice Lennon. His father, Ben Lennon, is well-known as a master of the Leitrim style of traditional fiddle and his uncle, Charlie Lennon, is renowned as a composer, piano accompanist and fiddler. At 19, Maurice became the youngest person to win the Senior Fiddle Championship at the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil, held in Ennis in 1977. Shortly after this, he joined with three other All-Ireland champions to form Stockton’s Wing, with local Clare musicians, Kieran Hanrahan, Paul Roche and Tommy Hayes, with whom he composed, recorded and performed for the next 27 years. More recently, he has been composing and travelling the …

Peter O’Connell The programmes on offer at Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy, July 5 to 13, are now recognised by the Department of Education and Skills as approved summer courses for teachers. Among the courses on offer are Dúchas an Cheoil, the Heritage of Irish Music programme which examines the historical, cultural and social backgrounds to the evolution of the Irish traditional music heritage, and the traditional singing workshops which explore the different genres of song in the Irish and English language traditions. These courses are suitable for those wishing to develop a critical overview of the key personalities, events, publications, organisations and influences that have shaped the development of Irish traditional music, song and dance over the past two cenruries. One does not have to be a musician, singer or dancer to participate in these programmes. For those determined to improve their practical skills there is a full programme of instrumental tuition as well as classes on old-style step dancing, …