June 21st, 2013

www.ennisrootsweekend.com

Ennis Roots Weekend is a new Gathering inspired event for Co Clare, the home of traditional music. Following on from the success of Love: live music – Ennis last year, Clare’s county town will again host a FREE concert on June 21st to connect with music day around the globe. Developing to a full weekend of music for 2013, the festival will be filled with events for visitors and locals alike to take part in and come together to enjoy some of Ireland’s best known musicians and groups and even have the opportunity to join them on stage! You can take a tour of our boutique town and meet shop owners who will be offering a great Ennis welcome.
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www.thegathering.kilkenny.ie

Spectacular new festival to feature a feast of traditional music, song & dance

Put a spring in your step and let your hair down at Kilkenny’s latest festival which will burst onto the scene this March. The grounds of Kilkenny Castle will be transformed into Ireland’s biggest traditional music venue when the inaugural Kilkenny TradFest 2013 gets into full swing this St. Patrick’s weekend, (March 16th and 17th).
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www.thewillisclan.com

The Willis Clan is fast becoming one of the sought after bands touring the Irish festival circuit and is now pleased to announce that TV cameras will be touring along with them. In 2011, a reality TV show pilot was filmed based on the life of the Willis family. The show has been picked up for series and the first episodes are being filmed in March and April. The show series will start airing in late June.
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Single and album released 22nd March in Ireland

www.lumieremusic.net

Lumiere’s debut album brought together two distinct voices cut from the same geographic cloth.

One is Éilís Kennedy, whose sound has ready access to the soul without need for scaffolding or spotlights.
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So what if you could learn Irish, at home, for free?

www.culturlann-doire.ie

Thanks to funding from the Big Lottery Fund, Derry’s Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin is now able to provide a series of podcasts online completely free of charge to encourage people to take the plunge and learn a new skill.
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In search of the best new talent on the trad/folk scene

Young emerging acts with their own unique brand of Irish traditional music are encouraged to take part in an exciting new project in association with Comhaltas Dhoire and Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin.

‘An Ré Nua ~ the New Era’ is a competition designed to encourage young and innovative musicians to compete against each other for a chance to kick start a career in folk and traditional music.
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www.facebook.com/gradamceoil
www.gradam.ie
Donegal accordion maestro  Dermot Byrne heads the list of recipients of the TG4 Gradam Ceoil 2013 (Traditional Music Awards) announced at a media reception in Limerick this evening.    Born and reared in Buncrana in the north-east of the county, his roots stretch to the Teelin Gaeltacht in the south-west and his musical tastes range far and wide.  He has been one of the country’s top box players since his teenage years and has been a long-serving member of the internationally renowned group Altan as well as performing regularly with the top names in traditional music and releasing solo recordings too.
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The long running popular traditional music series, Geantraí starts a new 10 week run on TG4  starting on Sunday 17th Feb at 10pm and repeated Friday 22nd at 8pm. The series presented by a different musician each week is produced in genuine traditional music pub locations around Ireland and as well as featuring many of our best known musicians it is also a platform for emerging young musicians. The opening programme in the Geantraí series comes from PJ Hayes Pub in Carlingford, Co Louth and is presented by fiddle player Dónal O’Connor where among the guests are At First Light, Zӧe Conway and singer Pádraigín Ní Uallachain. (more…)

The traditional music community across Ireland
will pay tribute to one of their own in Derry this February.

www.culturlann-doire.ie

From 8-10th February an all-star line up of musicians, tutors and performers will gather at Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin to celebrate the life and legacy of Caoimhín Ó Dochartaigh. Visitors will be offered the chance to take part in master classes with world renowned traditional musicians Laoise Kelly (harp), Siobhan Peoples and Josie Nugent (fiddle), Eamonn Cotter (flute) and Steve Cooney (guitar). There will also be intensive Irish language courses on offer, some late night tunes with Four Men and a Dog and an exclusive concert bringing together trad legends Steve Cooney, Dave Munnelly, Mórga, Gino Lupari and Dónal Murphy.
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