www.celticfusion.co.uk

Celtic Fusion returns for the seventh consecutive year, bringing the County Down town of Castlewellan to the forefront of musical diversity for eight days in July. From 13-20 July some of the biggest names in Celtic music from the past and present will perform at the prestigious festival. Festival goers are offered more than ever before with world-class artistes performing at concerts spanning the eight day period. The concerts are focused in bars throughout Castlewellan, providing more intimate venues, so visitors can enjoy an intensified atmosphere and get closer to the festival. In addition to the concerts, the festival will feature a Traditional Music Session Trail featuring up and coming names from the Irish music scene, combined with almost non-stop music over the final weekend in the Festival Bar, Mulhollands.
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October 2nd-5th, 2008
Oulu, Finland
www.irkku.fi

Come visit the northern frontier of Irish music and join us for the 3rd annual Irish Festival of Oulu from October 2nd-5th 2008. Organized by The Irish Music Society of Oulu, the festival celebrates the richness of Irish culture including dance, poetry, story telling, Irish Wolfhounds parade, puppeteering, and plenty of world class traditional Irish music.

The City of Oulu, Finland’s 6th largest City, lies on the Gulf of Bothnia 200 kilometres south of the Arctic Circle, home of Santa Claus. Oulu is a historic, 400 year old City of 131,000 inhabitants, known for high technology, Ice Hockey and more recently recognized as an Irish music centre.

Although very young, the festival has made an impact locally and nationally with past performers like Paddy Keenan and Tommy O’ Sullivan, as well as the band RíRá in 2007. The 2008 line-up continues on that goal of establishing a respectable Irish Festival and we welcome legendary Andy Irvine headlining the festival and the multi-talented, energetic band- Gráda.
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www.rte.ie/rnag

RTÉ Raidio na Gaeltachta launched the first ever CD album of Willie Clancy Summer School recordings; ‘Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy – Ceol agus Foinn’ at the Celtic Media Festival in Galway. RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta has been recording at the Summer School in Miltown Malbay since its foundation in 1973.

Launching the CD at the Celtic Media Festival this evening Director General of RTÉ Cathal Goan said; “It gives me great pleasure to launch this RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta – Willie Clancy Summer School production. I’ve had the opportunity to experience the talent of musicians at Miltown Malbay first hand and am delighted now that we can give listeners everywhere the opportunity to share in the rich tradition of the Summer School.”
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www.edelsullivan.com

An Acoustic Concert of Traditional and Original Fiddle Music featuring:

Edel Sullivan – fiddle
With Donncha Moynihan – guitar & Brian Hanlon – bodhran

A rare solo performance by the musician whose debut solo album,
“In The Time Of” (2006) was described as:

‘Spellbinding’ – Siobhan Long (The Irish Times)
‘ ….a rarity to be championed.’ – Earle Hitchner (The Irish Echo)
‘The most astonishingly beautiful recording I’ve heard in years.’
– (Sing Out!)
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www.cfstours.com

Chicago’s CFS Tours is proud to announce that it has reached agreement with Irish Music Magazine’s Bill Margeson to conduct a very special musical tour, November 1-10, 2008. The tour is called, The Great Sights and Sounds of Ireland. Starting in Dublin, the tour will also include Westport, Galway, Dingle and Ennis in a comprehensive daytime schedule of the great sights and experiences of the Irish capitol and west coast. There will be nightly musical sessions planned by Margeson, including private evenings for the Tour with button box legend, David Munnelly in Westport, five-time All-Ireland banjo champion, Enda Scahill in Galway, and Female Vocalist of the Year, Eilis Kennedy in Dingle. The Tour will conclude with the final evening being at the closing night of the annual, Ennis Traditional Music Festival in Co. Clare.

CFS Tours President, Bev Chesterfield, states, ” We are thrilled that Bill is with us to direct the musical portion of this tour. There are so many musicians joining David Munnelly, Eilis Kennedy and Enda Scahill at each of our sessions that it will truly be a magical experience. Bill seems to know everyone, and it also seems they are all coming to our special sessions! We are so proud to offer the Great Sights and Sounds Tour featuring the real, true music of Ireland’s heart and soul, as well as many of the Isle’s wondrous sights.”.

Details can be reviewed at www.cfstours.com or by calling the Chicago firm at 815-351-1355.

www.TheWorldFleadh.com

The World Fleadh is recognised as Ireland’s biggest Irish traditional & Celtic music festival. The events’s main attraction is its large scale marquee concerts and theatre performances featuring the best Irish traditional, contemporary & celtic music performers in the world. In addition, it plays host to a number of Ireland’s top céilí bands, a scheduled session trail, world title competitions in Irish traditional music, song & dance and master classes & demonstrations in various performance styles. To add to the aforementioned, the festival organisers have planned an incomparable range of family street and fringe activities to occur during The World Fleadh 2008 in Portlaoise.
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www.myspace.com/ronanosnodaigh
www.liamomaonlai.ie

Rónán Ó Snodaigh from Kíla and Liam Ó Maonlaí are set to join Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova for a number dates as they tour in America with music from the Oscar winning soundtrack Once.

Liam and Rónán are well known Irish musicians both as singers for their respective bands Hot House Flowers and Kíla and as solo artists. They are among the best bodhrán players in Ireland today and have earned huge acclaim within the music industry for their unique styles of playing and their contribution to the world and traditional music genres in Ireland. They will play two very special full length shows in San Francisco and Seattle in addition to the Once dates.
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August 6th – 12th, 2008
www.feaklefestival.ie

The 21st annual Feakle Traditional Music Festival takes place this year from Wednesday 6th August – Tuesday 12th August.

This Festival has grown in stature over the years and has expanded in an organic manner to include much broader aspects of our natural culture and heritage.

From its original 3 day format, it has now evolved and this year has its beginning on Wednesday 6th August where local flute player, Paddy O’Donoghue, will be honoured. Paddy recently launched a beautiful CD which incorporates many familiar but also self-composed tunes.
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www.eigsemrscrotty.com

Éigse Mrs. Crotty Traditional Music Festival and Summer School in Kilrush Co Clare will take place from August 13th to 17th. This festival celebrates the wonderful musical legacy of a talented and celebrated Clare woman – Elizabeth Crotty. Mrs. Crotty was a gentle and unassuming woman and a natural musician who enjoyed a unique mastery of the concertina. In fact people would seek out her company and sit quietly captivated as she played. But what she loved most of all was teaching and encouraging young musicians.

She became a pioneer of the Fleadh Cheoil movement and was elected the first President of Comhaltas in Clare, a position she held until she died. “Like all top class musicians, she had her own individual and unique style of playing” said Michael Tubridy, formerly of the Chieftains, “…she had a great rhythm and life in her music.”
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www.johnspillane.ie

HMV is delighted to welcome John Spillane to its Cork store on Saturday 26th April at 5.00pm. John will be performing a live acoustic set and signing copies of his new album ‘My Dark Rosaleen & The Island of Dreams’ just a day after its release.

The latest offering from the Cork artist otherwise known as “Ireland’s most unappreciated performer” (Hot Press) does not disappoint. Inspired by his native Cork, Spillane’s style is one that stands out from an arguably overly infiltrated singer-songer market. Spillane continues his musical progression with a rousing offering which should propel him to his rightful position as one of Ireland’s top lyricists. Award winning broadcaster, author and producer, P.J. Curtis once described Spillane “as one of the most talented, significant singer/songwriters to emerge in Ireland in the last decade.” His latest album is expected to further contribute to this line of thought.
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