The riches of Clare trad brought together on new CD

A FREE CD featuring some of the highlights of last summer’s Riches of Clare lunchtime concert series is being launched next week.

The promotional CD, featuring renowned traditional Irish musicians from Clare such as Tony Linnane, Maeve Donnelly, Siobhán Peoples, The Kilfenora Céilí Band, Pádraig Rynne and Chris Droney, among many others, will be available free of charge during the 2010 Riches of Clare series from local branches of libraries around the county.
The series began in 2005 inspired by the UCC Traditional Music Society’s Seomra Caidreamh series. “These were free concerts, organised by the students, where local musicians would perform. They were often the highlight of a working week and a great opportunity to hear musicians performing in a more formal but intimate setting,” Finola Ryan, co-ordinator of the series explained. After leaving UCC, Finola suggested the county arts office run a similar series, promoting Clare-based musicians.
The 2010 series will continue to be free of charge and 16 concerts are planned. Over the past few years, there have been concerts as part of local festivals around the county and this year, the organisers are working with Fleadh Nua in Ennis, the Clare County Fleadh in Kilfenora and the Feakle Festival. Ennis concerts take place on Wednesday afternoons in the now familiar base of the Westropp Room in the Clare Museum. The series will also visit Kilkee and Ballyvaughan this summer.
“The Riches of Clare series has gone from strength to strength over the past five years and is now an established event on the Clare traditional music and social calendars. Local musicians have been enthusiastic and obliging with their participation in each and every concert. The series really belongs to the musicians and the audiences. We also have to acknowledge all the venues and staff of each venue throughout the county that has welcomed the series and made it a community event,” Liam Ryan, who also co-ordinates the series with his sister, added.
Sixty-eight musicians took part in the series last year in Ennis and throughout the county. “A guest book that was set up has fantastic comments from people from Kilrush to Kilnaboy, from New York to Newmarket-on-Fergus, from Spain to Spanish Point. We had all the concerts recorded during last year’s series. One performance from each of the 15 concerts has been included on the CD. I have to say it really is a brilliant CD and the talent evident on it gives a great example of the level of music that has been played at the concerts. It was hard selecting the acts to include and there were many that we really wanted to have on the CD but of course, it wasn’t possible to include everything. More of the performances can be heard on the Riches of Clare myspace and facebook pages,” Finola commented.
The CD is being launched on April 17 in the county museum, an event which in itself promises to be a great ‘concert’. “Colm and Hugh Healy, on accordion and concertina, as well as Seánie McGrath (bouzouki) and Paul O’Driscoll (double bass) will perform at the launch. They were the group who performed at the very first Riches of Clare concert back in 2005,” she added.
The Riches of Clare is funded by the arts office of Clare County Council and is overseen by Siobhán Mulcahy, arts officer, based in the Clare Library headquarters in Ennis.
“Siobhán offers support, ideas and overall advice on the running of each concert and has always been very enthusiastic and was also delighted with the idea of having a CD made last year to promote the concert,” explains Liam Ryan.
Recording of the concerts was done by Lucy Polden and Jack Talty. Lucy is based in Dublin City as a recording engineer with many well-known bands in the capital. Jack Talty is from Lissycasey, a nephew of well-known concertina player, Noel Hill. Jack has his own recording studio in Lissycasey and has recorded many well-known musicians from and outside the county.