Irish Trad Music Blog

Caoimhin O Raghallaigh (Photo credit: Irish Philadelphia Photo Essays ) Date: Sunday 15th July (ONE NIGHT ONLY) Time: Doors open 8pm Venue: Mill Theatre Dundrum, (Main Auditorium) Tickets: €18 / €15 (Box Office will open for cash sales on day of show from 6pm!) Book by Phone: 01 – 296 9340 Book Online: www.milltheatre.ie Swerving from infectious slides to slow airs, sean-nós songs to wild, passionate polkas, Begley and Ó Raghallaigh unleash the raw power and beauty of their Kerry music. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear these stellar musicians at close range in October Formed in 2007, Begley and Ó Raghallaigh have toured Ireland, New Zealand and the USA. Button accordion player Brendan Begley is best known as a member of Boys of the Lough, while fiddler Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh’s “Kitty Lie Over” CD (with piper Mick O’Brien) topped Earle Hitchner’s 2003 Best Album list. Together, they have a wild, dynamic and fresh sound: according to Earle Hitchn...

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "Traditional Music Concert - Tra Mhor Tuesday May 22nd, 2012 is the date of the much-anticipated annual Irish traditional music concert which will take place in the Coastguard Station, Tramore, at 7:30pm. The concert will be held by the musicians who attend the weekly Irish traditional music classes at the CBS in Tramore. Do come along and enjoy a very special evening of beautiful Irish traditional music in a stunning venue, with glorious views over Tramore Bay. All welcome. Tickets are 5 euro per adult with complimentary admission for accompanied children. We would also like to particularly thank Tommy Keating from the Butterfly Band for all of his hard work in teaching our classes during the year, passing on his excellent skills and his deep interest in Irish music to his students. If you would like any further information, please call (087) 640 0184. Rath Dé oraibh go léir."

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The five-piece band Goitse, all students at Ireland's University of Limerick, will perform traditional melodies, modern rhythms and new compositions Wednesday, Feb. 15, at Skye Theatre Performing Arts Center. The group will also play at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14, at The Rack in Carrabassett for the annual Carrabassett Valley “Dirt-bag Prom;" and at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, at Unity College Center for the Performing Arts in Unity. Curtain at Skye is 7 p.m. Jam sessions will be held one hour prior to show at Skye and Unity. Now entering its third year, Goitse has gone from supporting acts and opening concerts to performing concerts in the four provinces of Ireland, parts of Europe and in Africa. Goitse's debut album, released in January 2010, has gained praise from critics. Hotpress Magazine had this to say: "They play with an easy assurance that should cause those fretting about the future of Irish trad to rest more easily at night." Making up the b...

Storyteller Tomáseen Foley and his ensemble of dancers, singers and musicians bring to life earlier times in Western Ireland, where the spirit of Christmas drew families and neighbors together for evenings of lighthearted, jovial fun. "A Celtic Christmas" recreates such a night before Christmas in a thatched farmhouse in Teampall an Ghleanntáin, where the rafters ring with Irish songs, traditional music and dance and stories of life in the distant parish, also Foley's birthplace. ian.org "I play the man of the house in the show," Foley says. "The singers, musicians, dancers and audience play the neighbors. We engage our audiences, and there's a lot of spontaneous laughter." "A Celtic Christmas" will be presented at 3 and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 21, at the Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater, 23 S. Central Ave., Medford. New songs, dances and stories fill this season's production, mixed with material from previous ones. "The...

"Many Americans tend to have a provincial view of the world, thinking that the way things are done here is much the same everywhere else, especially when it comes to holidays. However, as traditional Irish band Danú showed Friday night at the Macky Auditorium in Boulder, Christmas traditions can vary widely. What else can you make of the “wren dance,” which commemorates a tradition where Irish people hunted wrens on St. Stephen’s Day (the day after Christmas) since a wren betrayed Stephen’s position to a passing Roman garrison? As demonstrated, the ritual seems to part-Samhain, with men dressing in costumes of straw and traveling around from house to house singing and taking tips of beer and other libations." Danu brings a taste of an Irish Christmas to Danu brings a taste of an Irish Christmas to Macky Auditorium | Reverb — Reverb Music — The Denver Post :

It was another very successful musician who decreed that “the times they are a changing” over four decades ago, and when it comes to Irish music today that is certainly the case. One of the biggest catalysts in changing the landscape and the prism in which Irish music is seen and heard is composer Bill Whelan of Riverdance fame. While the success of the popular dance show scored by his musical genius has been unparalleled, this Limerick man prefers to work in solitude and not directly under the spotlight of center stage. So it will certainly be intriguing to see him come out of the shadows in his first performing role in a few years as he engages fiddler Athena Tergis in the fourth edition of the Irish Arts Center’s Masters in Collaboration from November 17-21. As in the previous series initiated by the IAC in 2008, a veteran artist with a long string of achievements is matched up with a promising artist whose resume may run a bit shorter. Whelan, best known for his Riverdance musi...

"BOONE—Music from Ireland will be performed Sept. 30 by students and faculty from Appalachian State University ’s Hayes School of Music . The evening begins at 8 p.m. in Broyhill Music Center’s Rosen Concert Hall. Admission is free. Called an “informance,” the evening features student musicians who participated in the Hayes School of Music’s 2010 study abroad program to Ireland. In addition to performing on fiddle , concertina and Irish harp , students will talk about their experience in Ireland and how it relates to their academic degree. The study abroad program to Ireland began in 2000. It is based at University College of Cork’s �School of Music. Faculty and students from Appalachian work with UCC faculty and students, attend private lessons, master classes, and recitals by Irish musicians at the university. �Evenings are spent observing and participating in pub music sessions." Ireland in story and song presented Sept. 30 at Appalachian � News Archive � Appalachian ...

Image by BedwyrPhoto.com via Flickr "CORVALLIS — Celtic music lovers will have a rare opportunity to hear Ireland’s all-star quintet L�nasa perform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 28, at the Majestic Theatre. In October 1997, the band released its d�but CD “L�nasa,” a searing mix of concert and studio tracks gathered from their first year together. It was immediately hailed as one of the freshest recordings of Irish music in years, called “moving, pulsating, and thrilling to the very marrow” by Roots magazine and “a true must-have disc” by The Irish Voice. The album became an immediate best-seller in Ireland, topping Hot Press ’ folk charts and nominated one of the year’s top 10 by the Irish Echo in the U.S." Lunasa brings stars of Celtic :

Image by sjrowe53 via Flickr Andy Irvine" Overview Date: 25/09/2010 - 26/09/2010 Location: Irish Cultural Centre Blacks Road, Hammersmith London, England W6 9DT Contact Information Phone: 020 8563 8232

Image by Kman999 via Flickr "Edel Fox is one of the most accomplished Irish musicians of her generation. Despite her young age, her musical résumé boasts a list of accolades. Liz and Yvonne Kane create a highly exciting and vibrant sound. In fact, rather than playing off each other and making contrasting individual statements, they choose to stay close at all times, the result being a powerful and gorgeous unified sound. Such is the musicianship of these young players that you’ll find yourself listening to every little turn of phrase." Edel Fox & The Kane Sisters :

Image by clspeace via Flickr Take three iconic fiddle players - Cathal Hayden, Dezi Donnelly & Tola Custy, add an engine room second to none - John Joe Kelly and Ed Boyd, and the results are one unique gig!!! Blazing Bows

Image via Wikipedia The annual Fleadh Nua will bring together concerts, céilithe, music, song and dancing workshops, street entertainment, and pageants/parades in Ennis next weekend. The festivities will commence on Sunday 23rd May at 8pm with the official opening followed by Corofin Teach Ceoil Tribute Concert and the Fleadh Club in Cois na hAbhna, Ennis. Monday 24th May until Thursday 27th May will feature similar activities. Each day will begin at 11am with Ciorcal Comhrá. At 1pm, there will be a lunchtime concerts (Riches of Clare) in the County Museum. The Old Ground Hotel will host Foinn Seisiúns with Frank Custy at 4pm. At 9pm the Fleadh Club will take place in Cois na hAbhna. Additional weekday activities include: Monday 24th May at 7:30pm there will be an Oíche Ghaelach in Cois na hAbhna. On Wednesday Dick O’Connell will host a Set Dancing Class at 9pm in the Library Bar. Thursday will see pub sessions in various venues in Ennis commencing at 10pm. Weekend festivities will k...

Image via Wikipedia The Celtic Crossroads members have spread their passion for music far beyond Irish pubs-they are now on to the rest of the world. Celtic Crossroads makes its way to Eastern at 7:30 p.m. today in Dvorak Concert Hall of Doudna Fine Arts Center for a late St. Patrick's Day concert. The group combines traditional Celtic music and dance with bluegrass , gypsy and jazz . Dan Crews, Doudna arrangements supervisor, wanted Celtic Crossroads to perform at Eastern because of its superior musicianship and artistry. "Celtic music is a genre that appeals to a lot of people, both those on campus and from the surrounding communities," Crews said. "It is generational music, which means that it appeals to those young and old. The music is exciting with a contemporary feel." Critics have hailed Celtic Crossroads concerts as some of the most exhilarating and authentic shows to come from Ireland in decades, Crews said. The name, Celtic Crossroads, comes from a...

There are some Irish music bands that fly a little too far under the radar for no real fault of their own, and it can lead to their being overlooked when it comes to discussion about bands that bring a lot to the tradition and its performance values. One of those bands is Danu, who came through the greater New York area this past weekend including a wonderful Sunday afternoon matinee up at the Quick Center for the Arts on the campus of Fairfield University in Connecticut where I was in attendance. Danu is associated with Co. Waterford because two of the founding members of the band, Brendan “Bennie” McCarthy, the box player and leader, and Donal Clancy, accompanist on guitar (and son of Liam Clancy), hailed from there, as did some later members in piper Donnchad Gough and singer Ciaran O’Gealbhain. From the first time I saw them in the late 1990s at the Greater Washington, D.C. Irish Music Festival in Gaithersburg, Maryland, I have been tremendously impressed with their lively stage pr...

CHAMPAIGN-URBANA - On Tuesday, the night before St. Patrick's Day, Irish music fans in the twin cities will be faced with a choice: traditional folk or punk rock? In a coincidence of scheduling, two bands that show the extremes of Irish music will perform. The first is folk supergroup Danu, which hails from Ireland and has been one of the most influential traditional folk groups on the Irish music scene for more than 15 years. It will be playing at the Krannert Center in Urbana. The second is The Tossers, Chicago natives and festival staples who play the popular subgenre of "Celtic-punk" and symbolize a contemporary, blue-collar spin on traditional music. They play at The Highdive in downtown Champaign. The question is inevitable: Which to pick? Benny McCarthy, the button accordion player for Danu, believes the crossover in fans between the two groups is larger than most people might think. "We have many fans who are also fans of Celtic-punk; it is all music, after a...

By Adobe Staff In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, one of the most dynamic and exciting bands playing Irish music today will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Clark Center for the Performing Arts in Arroyo Grande. Led by world-renowned fiddler and vocalist Mair/ad N’ Mhaonaigh, the Irish folk band Altan emerged during the 1990s as one of Ireland’s premier traditional musical groups. Since then, the group has sold millions of records worldwide and is known for many critically acclaimed albums and a relentless touring schedule, a Clark Center spokesman said. Altan has developed an international audience for what is essentially an unadorned and straightforward presentation of the traditional music and song the members grew up with, the spokesman said. The group is unique in the way it is able to imbue a fresh approach to that tradition while maintaining the respect of peers and friends in the world of Irish music. The Claddagh School of Irish Dance, will open the show for Altan. The s...

The Star Series and Albright College will present the Irish band Beoga, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the Albright College Chapel. Opening for Beoga will be local musicians Ken Gehret and Irish Mist; Beoga will also hold a workshop on Irish music from 5 to 6 p.m. in the chapel, free and open to the public. Based in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, which includes the city of Belfast, Beoga (the Irish word for "lively") was founded in 2002 when its five members jammed together at the All-Ireland Fleadh. Their lineup is unique: two button accordionists (Sean Og Graham and Damian McKee), pianist Liam Bradley, singer/songwriter and fiddler Niamh Dunne and four-time all-Ireland bodhran champion Eamon Murray.They released their first CD, "a lovely madness" in 2004, and it became one of the top traditional/folk albums of the year in Ireland. They went on to record "Mischief" in 2007, and, in 2009 they released their latest CD, "The Incident." In a recent tele...

The historic, patriotic, and romantic music of Ireland is being brought to life at the Thomas Moore Festival on Monday, March 15 at the legendary Carnegie Hall in New York City. Known as the “Bard of Erin,” Thomas Moore is best remembered as the writer and performer of “Moore's Irish Melodies” which, it was said, would “outlive Ireland.” Thomas Moore was born on the corner of Aungier Street in Dublin on May 28, 1779. His father hailed from an Irish speaking Gaeltacht in Co. Kerry and his mother from Co. Wexford. He was educated at Trinity College which at the end of the 18th century, had begun to allow entry to Catholic students. It was as a poet, translator, balladeer and singer that Moore found fame. His work soon became immensely popular and he is thought of as the most enduring representative of Ireland’s musical culture. His 124 songs, the “Irish Melodies,” commonly called “Moore's Melodies,” were published in 1846 and 1852. The collection was based on the finest Irish air...

Transatlantic Sessions, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall As attested by the speed with which both shows routinely sell out, the Transatlantic Sessions are the longstanding jewel in Celtic Connections’ crown. This year, however, was exceptional even by the usual exalted standards. Whether it was serendipitous chemistry, between the line-up’s mix of old lags and first-timers, or a particularly felicitous choice of songs – or perhaps the full moon – the musical magic conjured by 18 leading folk artists from Scotland, Ireland and America delivered the wow factor in spades. In keeping with the “sessions” element of the format, most of the musicians remained on stage throughout, clapping, tapping feet and applauding in unison with the audience. Together with plenty of banter and craic – including the seemingly requisite doses of toilet humour from accordionist Phil Cunningham – this lent the proceedings a winning informality and an air of spontaneity, which belied the wealth of A-list musicianship...