www.gael-linn.ie

The young traditional music group Teaspach  from Sligo are the Siansa Gael Linn 2012 winners!  At the Grand Finale concert in the National Concert Hall on Sunday, 29 April 2012, they were chosen from among eight finalists of a high standard for this prestigious award. Siansa is  a competition for young traditional Irish music and singing groups, organized annually by Gael Linn, with support from Foras na Gaeilge, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta and Irish Music Magazine.
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June 8th – 10th, 2012

The organisers would like to welcome you to their Traditional Weekend which takes place from Friday, June 8th to Sunday, June 10th this year.

The Traditional Weekend started out as a day, but through progression and popularity it has become a welcomed weekend throughout the district of south Offaly and the whole country– having people grace then all the way from Sliabh Luachra. The Traditional Day was set up four years ago to remember the past in story and tradition and make it available to the younger generations, so that the culture will not be lost, but will live on in future generations. The primary charity is the National Council for the Blind of Ireland.
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August 8th – 11th, 2012
www.kilcaronline.com

The Kilcar Tourism Committee is proud to announce that the great Moya Brennan is the headline act at this year’s Kilcar Fleadh. Moya and her family band will appear in concert in the Kilcar Parish Hall on Wednesday, August 8th. Other artistes appearing at this year’s Fleadh include Tom Byrne, Martin McGinley and Gavin Whelan, plus a host of traditional musicians from south west Donegal. The Fleadh commences with a concert on Saturday, August 4th and concludes with a concert on Saturday, August 11th. Workshops in fiddle, accordion, tin whistle, guitar, singing and dancing commence on Monday, August 6th. The week long festival also includes a cross roads dance, illustrated talks, a heritage day, book launch and the unique Echoes of the Glen.

Full details are available on the website www.kilcaronline.com

April 5th – 7th, 2013

Following the huge success playing host to two Munster Fleadh’s,   the Town of Kenmare, Co. Kerry has decided to start it’s own annual Irish Music festival, “Feile Neidín”. Touted by many since the 2008/10 Munster Fleadh’s as the “ideal events setting”, Kenmare will hold the festival on the weekend after Easter every year, the inaugural festival recently from April 5th – 7th, 2013.
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www.andar.com

Andar a new band from the low countries, made up of some of the Continent’s finest Irish and Celtic players released their debut album Storms on April 27th.

Andar are David Munnelly on box, Helen Flaherty of Shantalla on vocals, Philip Masure on DADGAD guitar, Siard DeJong (a mainstay of the Mulligan’s session in Amsterdam) on fiddle and Fons Vanhamel on upright bass. We will have a review of their excellent album in the next issue of IMM.

August 2nd – August 5th, 2012
www.ballyshannonfolkfestival.com

The 35th Ballyshannon Folk and Traditional Music Festival will kick–off on Thursday August 2nd – Sunday August 5th, 2012 with a comprehensive line–up of folk and traditional music stars from Ireland and beyond including: Paul Brady, The Lost Brothers, Alan Kelly Gang featuring Eddi Reader, Cara Dillon, Fidil, and Faduda.
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October 5th – 13th, 2012
www.celtic-colours.com

2012 Venues Announced

The Celtic Colours International Festival won’t start for another five months, but requests for information are already pouring in from around the world. “We receive regular requests for information about the festival throughout the year,” says Mary Pat Mombourquette, Celtic Colours Business Director. “But around this time of year, the volume really picks up. As soon as the venues and communities are announced, people start planning their vacations.”
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July 21st – 28th, 2012
www.joemooneysummerschool.com

The Joe Mooney Summer School of Traditional Music, Song and Dance will take place in Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim from July 21st – 28th,  2012. This renowned Summer School, now in its 24th year, will provide a full programme of workshops in traditional instruments– fiddle, flute, banjo, bodhrán, whistle, concertina, button accordion, piano accordion, harp, uilleann pipes, mandolin and bouzouki. Traditional accompaniment was successfully added to our programme last year and will be offered again in 2012. Tuition is also available in Set Dancing, Sean Nós Dancing, 2 Hand Dancing, Traditional Singing and Sean Nós Singing.
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July 15th – 21st, 2012
www.sssschool.org

Nestled at the foot of the Ox Mountains, the south Sligo town of Tubbercurry is the setting for the 26th South Sligo Summer School of traditional music, song & dance this July.
Classes are held each morning in several traditional instruments including fiddle, flute, harp, concertina, uilleann pipes, tin whistle, traditional guitar, banjo, bodhrán, traditional piano/keyboard accompaniment and piano and button accordians. Traditional singing and lilting classes as well as a singing class in the sean nós style are also included in the daily program of classes. All classes and workshops are facilitated by tutors of the highest calibre and classes are graded in all instruments. As well as daily set dancing and sean nós dancing workshops, dancers have a full program of nightly céilís to look forward to with a great variety of the best bands from all corners of the country, including the locally based Swallow’s Tail, Dartry and Innisfree Céilí bands, and, paying their first visit to Tubbercurry, the Deenagh Ceilí Band from Kerry.
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June 29th–July 1st, 2012
www.westportfolkandbluegrass.com

Over the last weekend in June, national and international folk and bluegrass acts will be playing loads of free gigs in venues throughout Westport, Co Mayo. The bustling seaside town will be hopping to the sound of banjos and fiddles, hooting to Appalachian harmonies and swaying to soulful folk songs, as the local bars and hotels give themselves over once again to the Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival.
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