At fifteen years old, fiddle player, Mairéad Hickey from Cork, winner of eight All Ireland fiddle titles and the former Irish National Concert Hall Young Musician of the Year, launched her ‘Irish Fiddler’ app for traditional Irish fiddle. The app, produced in 2011 by Marion Roche Martin, is available on https://itunes.apple.com

Mairéad uses a combination of tutorials and colour coded printable music to support students as they learn to play a set of Irish polkas in version 1.0, followed by a set of jigs in Version 2.0. Mairéad demonstrates how the tunes can be played together in a session and includes a free tutorial on good fiddle posture. The application is ideal for anyone who enjoys Irish music and can be used to learn the tunes on other instruments like tin whistle, flute, banjo and mandolin.
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www.capercaillie.co.uk

At The Heart Of It All the band’s brand–new 30th anniversary album, re–visits and re–invigorates songs sourced from the rich vein of centuries old Hebridean folk songs, enriched by compelling contemporary arrangements, together with an array of special guests representing the cream of today’s flourishing Scottish music scene.

Capercaillie are Karen Matheson (vocal), Donald Shaw (Keys), Charlie McKerron (fiddle), Manus Lunny (guitar), Ewen Vernal (Bass), Michael McGoldrick (flute/pipes) are joined by guests including: vocalists Julie Fowlis, Kathleen MacInnes, Darren MacLean, Sinead MacIntyre and Kris Drever (Lau). Also, Irish banjo legend, Gerry O’Connor, firebrand uilleann piper, Jarlath Henderson, Argyllshire fiddler, Aidan O’Rourke (also from Lau), percussionist, James Mackintosh and top jazz saxophonist, Tommy Smith.

For further information www.capercaillie.co.uk

Gleneagle Hotel, Killarney

February 19th – 23rd, 2014
www.thegathering.ie

Toes will be tapping all the way to Killarney for the 15th Annual Gathering Traditional Music Festival which takes place at The Gleneagle Hotel, Killarney from February 19th – 23rd, 2014.

With a finely tuned mix of concerts, céilís, workshops and sessions The Gathering has been the highlight of the Irish Cultural Calendar for traditional musicians and céilí dancers alike since its inception back in 1999. The Gathering Committee are very excited to host the long awaited reunion of ‘Buttons & Bows’, featuring Jackie Daly, Seamus & Manus McGuire and Gary O’Briain. They are also privileged to welcome back many of the artists that thousands have enjoyed over the past 14 years, including fiddle maestro Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill. Due to popular demand Téada, along with their newest member Seamus Begley, are making a welcome return. New for 2014, The Voice Squad, featuring Gerry Cullen, Phil Callery and Fran McPhail will treat the audience to the highlights of their new album, Concerning of Three Young Men.

The organisers are also introducing a beautiful harp and fiddle recital. The Killarney School of Music will delight on Sunday afternoon. Other highlights of the 2014 festival include: Caladh Nua, Siobhan’s People, Murty Ryan & Mary Bergin, Tony Linnane and Paul De Grae and Damien Mullane & Friends. For those of you who have energy to burn the céilís promise to deliver with Uí Bhriain, Donie Nolan Ceilis Band, Con Herbert & Friends, The Abbey Ceili Band, Striolan Ceili Band and Johnny Reidy Ceili Band. The 3rd Gathering Showcase Series, in association with Culture Ireland, will showcase some of Ireland’s best talents to Europe wide festival organisers.
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Launch tour featuring music from Edel Fox (concertina) and Neill Byrne (fiddle)
www.edelfox.com

From counties Clare and Waterford respectively, Edel Fox and Neill Byrne have been playing music together for the past three years. Edel grew up in Miltown Malbay and over the years has become well–known as a Clare concertina player, specialising in the music of her native county. Neill was born and raised in Ferrybank, Waterford where he grew up in a very musicial household – both his father and sister are also musicians. He learnt much of his music from the great Wexford–based composer John Dwyer and Limerick fiddle player Noelle O’Connor. The combination of styles and influences between Edel and Neill has created a new and exciting sound.
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www.facebook.com/napiobairiuilleann

A traditional music recital on the first Tuesday of every month

The Cobblestone, 77 North King Street, Dublin 7.

Tuesday  6th August  2013

TG4 Young Musician of the Year Dónal McCague will feature in August’s Session with the Pipers recital in its cosy backroom setting in The Cobblestone pub in Smithfield. Dónal McCague released his début album, Bits’n’Pieces, in 2011 aged only 21. He is from a musical family in Scotstown, Co. Monaghan. His music teachers have included Laura Beagon, Deirdre and Michael Rooney, Pat McCabe, Edel Connolly and Phelim Ó Raghallaigh. In 2005, at the age of 15, he played at the Frankie Gavin International Fiddle Festival in Galway 2005 and in the National Concert Hall Dublin on St Patrick’s Day 2006. He was part of an All-Ireland winning Scór na nÓg instrumental group for Scotstown in 2006. He has recorded for the TV programmes Geantraí on TG4 and the RTÉ Fleadh Programme, as well for national and local radio. He has toured Europe with the Irish dance troupes Ragús and Celtic Legends. He was runner up in both the Fiddler of Dooney competition at Sligo Live and in Fiddler of Oriel, Monaghan. McCague cites his main influences as Tommy Peoples, Séamus Quinn, Brian Rooney, Cathal Hayden, Seán Keane and Frankie Gavin.
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September 10th - 18th, 2013
www.musicnetwork.ie

Featuring:
Liam O’Connor, fiddle, viola
Caoimhín Ó Fearghail, uilleann pipes, flute, guitar, vocals
Noel Hill, concertina

“Breathtaking… a young musician who is essentially standing on the shoulders of giants, but who has worked his way through these influences and created something of his own.” Dermot McLaughlin, Journal of Music in Ireland, on Liam O’Connor

“Here we have a stylist who has taken his instrument to new heights…  Noel shapes each tune as a finely sculpted piece of intricate musical art, delicacy and beauty.” P.J. Curtis on Noel Hill
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