By Paddy O’Brien, foreword by Martin Hayes
www.orpenpress.com

The Road from Castlebarnagh covers the many adventures of Paddy O’Brien, Irish traditional musician, composer and collector, as a boy growing up more than half a century ago in the midlands of Ireland. Paddy grew up in a small thatched house without running water or electricity, near the town of Daingean in County Offaly. It was a time when the social life of the Irish countryside often took place around the fireplace, where stories were told and music was played. In his book he writes of the many colourful characters who shaped his perception of Irish life and culture. Showing Paddy’s flair for storytelling, The Road from Castlebarnagh is the story of how a young musician absorbed his surroundings while developing his own distinctive musical style.
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www.musicnetwork.ie

Music Network presents Iarla Ó Lionáird (voice), Cleek Schrey (fiddle) and Ivan Goff, (uilleann pipes) on Tour: March 19th–27th, 2013
Music Network presents sean-nós singer Iarla O’Lionaird, considered by The Guardian to be, ‘one of the most dramatic voices in contemporary music’, with US fiddle player, Cleek Schrey and champion piper, Ivan Goff on tour March 19th–27th. The mercurial Ó Lionáird is one of Ireland’s foremost sean–nós singers and a genre–crossing singer-songwriter who has also fronted Afro Celt Sound System and Crash Ensemble. Music Network tours provide a wonderful opportunity to see some of the world’s foremost musicians at affordable prices in venues around Ireland, and are presented in association with RTÉ lyric fm. Music Network is funded by the Arts Council.
Further information visit www.musicnetwork.ie

www.rte.ie/rnag

Monaghan piper, Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn and Dublin harpist Oisín Morrison were the winners of the Seán Ó Riada gold medal in the concert final which took place in Cork on Friday January 18th.

The winners were each presented with a gold medal specially-designed by Cashel goldsmith Pádraig Ó Mathúna and a cheque for ?1250 at the event in the Rochestown Park Hotel in Cork. (more…)

www.colemanirishmusic.com

At the most central crossroads in Co. Sligo, Gurteen Cross, stands the modern, yet impressive building that is Ceoláras Coleman! This building is the focus for and home to a state of the art traditional music programme! The visitors’ experience is informal, welcoming and friendly. The Centre seeks to provide visitors with a tailor– made first–hand experience of traditional Irish music including a twelve minute audio–visual presentation. The Music Shop stocks an extensive selection of music CD’s, instruments, music books as well as souvenirs and books of local interest with a wider appeal.
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TUNES FROM THE GOODMAN MANUSCRIPTS
www.claddaghrecords.com

Mick O’Brien (uilleann pipes/flute/whistle), Emer Mayock (flute/ whistle) and Aoife Ní Bhriain (fiddle) are releasing a CD entitled Tunes from the Goodman Manuscripts with repertoire drawn from original sources collected by Canon James Goodman in the mid – 19th century in his native province of Munster.
The manuscripts, which since his death have been held in the Library of Trinity College provide unique insights into the evolution of Irish traditional music and are of great significance because they preserve much of the traditional music of the south of Ireland as it was sung and played in the years before traditional culture there was devastated by the Great Famine of the 1840’s. (more…)

October 11th–19th, 2013
www.celtic-colours.com

Celtic Colours celebrates exceptional 2012 festival and kicked–off 2013 by showcasing Cape Breton talent in Dublin and Glasgow.

The 16th annual Celtic Colours International Festival was an outstanding success by any measurement and a record– smashing year in terms of ticket sales. A total of 20,276 tickets were sold to performances, an increase of almost 2,000 tickets over the previous high reached in 2011, marking the first time the Festival has sold more than 20,000 tickets. An additional 13,854 patrons from all over the world joined the celebration by tuning in to live concerts streamed via the internet. (more…)

August 10th–18th, 2013 www.bathfolkfestival.org

Bath Folk Festival is now in its 4th year with an expanded programme of nine days from August,10th–18th, 2013. Once again there will be a summer school featuring tuition in all forms of folk music offered to players at all levels. This year there will be more dancing classes being added to the programme. The festival runs a five day course in Traditional Irish music featuring tutors at the top of their field as well as workshops in English French and many European traditions as well as other styles from all over the world. Spread across the city of Bath we now have even more venues and an excellent value season ticket that gets you into events every day of the festival. For players there are lots of sessions as well. Confirmed line–up details will be announced very soon.
For more information visit www.bathfolkfestival.org

SCOIL ACLA, ACHILL ISLAND, CO. MAYO
July 27th – August 3rd, 2013 www.scoilacla.com

The annual Scoil Acla summer school takes place on Achill Island, Co. Mayo. Scoil Acla is Irelands oldest summer school, originally founded in 1910 and re–launched in 1985. Scoil Acla follows the usual format of daily music classes which run from Monday to Saturday on the following instruments, accordion, banjo, flute, concertina, fiddle, harp, tin whistle, uilleann pipes and bodhrán with beginners, intermediate and advanced students being catered for on all instruments. Other workshops available are creative writing, basket weaving, dancing and a course on Gaeilg’ Acla, the Achill dialect of Irish. Throughout the week they have recitals, poetry readings, creative writing readings, indoor and outdoor concerts, sessions, walks, talks and much more. (more…)

July 20th–27th, 2013 www.joemooneysummerschool.com

Twenty five years a–growing and now in full bloom. The story of its growth is both interesting and amazing. It began in 1989 when a small seed was sown in a small town in Co. Leitrim by a small group of people who set out to promote the unique style of Leitrim  music and traditional culture.
From small beginnings, it has grown organically from year to year and it has become widely known and highly regarded on the traditional calendar. It now provides traditional music workshops, singing and set dancing for over 1000 students. The list of traditional tutors, over fifty at this stage, consists of the creme de la creme. (more…)

July 22nd – 26th, 2013 before March 22nd! www.tradweek.com

Meitheal 2013, the 10th edition will run from July 22nd–26th
in Villiers School, Limerick. A stellar cohort of tutors is being lined–up, many of them from overseas. Reaction to Meitheal 2012 was extremely positive and many students highlight the Finale Concert, and the appearance with Beoga at the Fleádh Cheoil na hÉireann as being unforgettable experiences.
The line–up of tutors so far: Alisha McMahon – harp, Brendan Mulholland – flute, Cillian King – concertina, Damien O’ Kane – banjo, John Carty – fiddle, Liz Doherty – fiddle, Mairearad Greene – piano accordeon, Martin Donohoe – button accordeon and Padraic Keane – uilleann pipe. (more…)