www.imro.ie

The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) welcomed President of Ireland, Mary McAleese as honoured guest at the launch of their newly refurbished headquarters ‘Copyright House’ on Pembroke Row, Dublin 2. The reception was attended by over one hundred key figures in the Irish music industry including Paul Brady, Eleanor McEvoy, Johnny McEvoy and Brendan Graham, who gathered to celebrate IMRO’s twenty-year involvement in promoting and protecting the music of Ireland’s creative community.
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The University Concert Hall, Limerick was full to capacity on Sunday, 26 April last when hundreds of teenagers, their supporters and families, gathered for a night that will long be remembered by all for it’s celebration of youth and music –the Siansa Gael Linn Grande Finale 2009 !
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www.celticlegends.net
Celtic Legends, the traditional music and dance show that started in tiny venues in France six years ago has now grown and is filling huge venues across Europe, having played to over one million people already. The Celtic Legends CD and DVD released by France Television and Universal France hit the French charts in the Top 40 the week it was released.
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www.pipers.ie
Na Píobairí Uilleann has recently released a DVD - Traveller Piper, A Celebration of the Piping Tradition of Johnny and Felix Doran. The legacy of the Doran brothers is best reflected in the profound influence which their incredible piping has had on subsequent generations of musicians. Piping luminaries such as Davy Spillane, Paddy Keenan and Finbar Furey all cite the Dorans as sources of inspiration and that extraordinary influence remains undiminished today. The ‘travelling’ style of piping often refers directly to the Doran legacy. The DVD Traveller Piper features material filmed at the Doran Centenary Tionól which took place at Spanish Point in April 2008 and includes contributions from Finbar Furey, Paddy Keenan, Mickey Dunne, Mick Coyne, John Rooney and Leo Rickard.
A series of interviews and performances details the lives of these extraordinary musicians and their rich contribution to Irish traditional music.

May 17th – 25th, 2009
www. comhaltas.ie
Based in Ennis since 1974, Fleadh Nua is an annual week-long festival of top Irish traditional entertainment, held in Ennis, the capital town of County Clare. 2009 is the 40th anniversary of the New festival with acts such as The Chieftans in concert in Ennis Cathedral on Wednesday, 20th May. Glór Irish Music Centre will host on Friday, 22nd May top young Irish traditional acts Aos Óg plus the Hounds of Ulster, a flute & drum music group based in Whiteabbey, County Antrim. Their music is an exciting combination of Irish, Ulster Scots and Scottish traditional music.
The Saturday night band in Glór will be Clare’s renowned Kilfenora Céilí Band who will be celebrating their centenary. Sunday night, 24th May sees the welcome return of Donegal fiddle maestro Tommy Peoples to Fleadh Nua. A brief summary of some Fleadh Nua events during this week of traditional entertainment (much of it free of charge!) is as follows:
• Singers’ Club
• free lunch-time concerts
• free afternoon session tune workshops
• nightly Club Fleadh Nua sessions
• music, song & dance workshops
• traditional pub sessions
• master classes
• concert performances
• street and gig rig entertainment

www.lunasa.ie
The new CD ‘The Leitrim Equation’ is being launched in The Button Factory in Dublin on Friday 15th May, with a concert featuring Lúnasa and special guest Leitrim musicians. ‘The Leitrim Equation’, is a combination of newly composed tunes by Leitrim musicians (with whom Lúnasa worked closely throughout their Leitrim residency, fine-tuning the compositions and compiling tunes into arrangements, culminating in 5 tracks on the CD); Some of the Leitrim musicians featuring on the double CD include Charlie, Ben and Maurice Lennon, Eleanor Shanley, Michael McNamara, Dave Sheridan, Mary McPartlan and many more.
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www.templebartrad.com
Each January, Dublin’s Temple Bar comes alive with a series of festival concerts and a rich line-up of musical performances, workshops, high quality street theatre, family events and much more in a celebration of traditional Irish music and culture.
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www.dast.gov.ie
Martin Cullen TD, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, speaking directly after April’s emergency budget said: “Our task now is to protect jobs, restore economic activity, while we bring stability to the public finances, maximise short-term economic activity and improve our country’s competitiveness.”
The Minister added, “The Arts, Sport and Tourism sectors are important drivers within the economy - both as contributors to economic growth and to employment levels. One fifth of the working force in our country earns their living from tourism/ hospitality, arts and sports. Between them they generate almost six and half billion Euros in foreign currency earnings per year.”
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www.eigsecarlow.ie

Trad Music Maestro’s set to reunite at Éigse Carlow Arts Festival 2009

Celebrating 30 years, the 2009 Éigse Carlow Arts Festival will take place between June 13th and 21st. For nine days and nights Carlow town will once again come alive with a vibrant programme of visual art, dance, music, theatre, craft, children’s events and street entertainment.
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www.kila.ie

Named as album of the week, April 20th on RTE Radio1

Kíla Spanish tour and DVD launch May 18-22nd:
Sala Bikini, Barcelona May 19th
Sala Heineken, Madrid May 20th
Centro Cultural, Caja Burgos May 21st
Centro Culutral, Caja Burgos May 22nd

Kíla to perform for arrival of Volvo Round the World Yacht Race, Galway Bay 23rd May.
Kíla to perform at Africa Day, in Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens with Liam Ó Maonlaí and Vieux Farka Tour 24th May