Traditional music group FullSet are the winners of the RTÉ Radio/RAAP traditional music bursary to the value of €5000. The winners of the four bursaries (classical, trad, pop, folk) were announced on Thursday evening during an RTÉ Radio concert featuring the 12 shortlisted acts.

FullSet is made up Seán McCarthy, Janine Redmond, Andrew Meaney, Teresa Horgan, Michael Harrison and Eamonn Moloney, with members hailing mainly from Munster – Cork and Tipperary – complimented by two Dubs!  FullSet released their debut album, Notes at Liberty, earlier this year, and they have a lot of experience of playing at festivals in Ireland and throughout Europe, and have played with musicians such as Moya Brennan, Fred Morrison, Lúnasa and Carlos Nuñez.

Mary Bergin, Meaití Jó Shéamuis Ó Fátharta, Gerry O’Connor, Richie Buckley, and Ciaran Tourish were the judges in the trad category, and commenting on the winning group, the committee said:
We were very pleased with the broad interpretation of traditional music that has been presented to us in the competition.  We believe that the winners FullSet have demonstrated the best characteristics and skills of traditional music in their entry.  Congratulations to them.

Eamonn Moloney (flute, bodhrán) and Michael Harrison (fiddler) both hail from Tipperary.  Moloney graduated in 2009 from the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at University of Limerick, and is a founding member of the Five Counties Céilí Band.  Harrison is the grandson of celebrated fiddle player Aggie Whyte, and is a three time All-Ireland fiddle champion.  Uilleann piper Seán McCarthy, from North Cregg in Co. Cork, has won the All-Ireland title six times, and has performed with acclaimed music show Ragús, among others. Singer and flute player Teresa Horgan was steeped in music growing up in Buttevant, Co. Cork.  She has performed all over Europe, and has shared the stage with The Chieftains, among others.  Andrew Meeney and Janine Redmond make up the Dublin contingent of the band.  Guitar player Meeney, from Rathmines, studied music in DIT and has also performed in music show Ragús.  Janine Redmond, button accordion, has won several solo All-Ireland titles on accordion and melodeon, and, like her bandmates, has travelled throughout the world playing music.

The other two acts shortlisted in the traditional music category were harpist and composer Úna Monaghan from Belfast and trad group The Bonnymen, who released their debut album this week.  Winners in the other categories were Alice Jago (folk), The Fallen Drakes(pop/rock) and Sharon Carty (classical).

Further information:
Caitríona Ní Bhaoill, Press Officer, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
+353 86 8769585  caitriona.nibhaoill@rte.ie