www.templebartrad.com

TradFest is delighted to be showcasing up and coming groups to this year’s festival, adding a modern twist to traditional trad!

Already very established in the Irish music scene BEOGA will take to the stage in the Button Factory on Thursday 27 January as part of a double bill with emerging Irish performers Ciorras. Guaranteed to live up to their name - the Irish word for ‘lively’- BEOGA blend bluesy riffs with jazz and pop beats producing melodious traditional music.
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www.tradweek.com

Meitheal 2010 will run from July 18th to 22nd in Villiers School, Limerick.  A stellar cohort of tutors is being lined up, many of them from overseas. Reaction to Meitheal 2010 was extremely positive and many students highlight the Finale Concert, and the appearance at the National Concert Hall as being unforgettable experiences.

The full line-up of tutors is as follows:

Alan Kelly – Piano accordeon

Brian Morrissey – banjo

Mairtin O Connor – box

Brid Harper – fiddle

Holly Geraghty – harp

Mick O Brien – flute & pipes

Steph Geremia – flute

Tola Custy – fiddle

Tommy Fitzharris - concertina

Many of last year’s award winners have already played at the events for which they were chosen.  Seamus Harnett  has performed at Ennis Trad Fest, Annemarie Bell and the group Turas Fada have played the National Concert Hall.  Killian Shannon has completed the CCE tour of Ireland.  Meanwhile, Fergal Breen, Graham Lynch, Marian Curtin and Francis Cunningham are preparing for their festival gigs in the Spring.  They have been chosen to appear at the Nyah festival in Cavan, the Kilfenora festival and also at the Corofin Trad fest, all in March.
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www.rte.ie/rnag

RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta will be taking full advantage of the benefits of modern communications technology on Friday to allow musician Martin Hayes to judge a traditional fiddle competition from New York, although the competition will be taking place 3000 miles away in Cork.  15  fiddlers will take to the stage in the Rochestown Park Hotel on Friday for the final of the competition hoping to win a gold medal and the €5000 prize money, and they will be judged by 3 musicians of international renown - Martin Hayes, legendary Clare fiddler who will judge the competition via Skype from New York, together with Seán Keane of The Chieftains, and Liam O’ Connor, TG4 Young Musician of the Year 2002, who will both be at the concert in Cork.
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