The 2nd annual Pat O’Brien Composition Competition will be taking place again this year as part of the John Dwyer Traditional Weekend October 18th–20th, 2013. All entrants must be 18 or under on October 1st, 2013. All tune types are acceptable but must fit within the traditional idiom. Recordings should be no less than

3 minutes in length and tunes must be performed solo. Each entry will be given a number and the entries will be blindly adjudicated by John Dwyer (one of the countries finest composers!).

Entries for the competition can be sent on MP3 to email: johndwyertradweekend@outlook.com  or post on CD to POB Composition Competition, Imagine Arts Festival, C/O Waterford City Arts Office, The Mall, Waterford.

Closing date for entries is Tuesday October 15th,  2013.

GROG will be appearing in Culturlann na hEireann,
32 Belgrave Square, Monkstown, Co. Dublin on November 30th at 8.30pm.

Tickets are priced at €12 and can be booked from Comhaltas Craobh Chualann at email: info@craobhchualann.net, Carmel Gunning at Tel. 087 6250 454 or email: carmelgunn09@gmail.com.

Also available at The Record Room, Sligo Town Tel: 071 91 43748. People can also pay on the door.

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

The Gathering Traditional Festival returns from February 19th – 23rd, 2014 for its celebratory 15th anniversary year. With a finely tuned mix of concerts, céilís, workshops and sessions The Gathering, has been the highlight of the Irish cultural calendar for trad musicians and céilí dancers alike since its inception way back in 1999.

Showcase Concerts: In association with Culture Ireland, the Showcase Concerts give new and emerging trad performers the opportunity to perform in front of festival organisers and agents from right across Europe. If you are interested in showcasing please contact festival organiser John O’Shea for more details.
(more…)

November 7th–10th, 2013
www.irishfestival.dk

Celebrating 35 years of Irish music in Copenhagen

Copenhagen Irish Festival is a yearly treat for Irish music enthusiast, presenting the legends, the hip and the up–and–coming bands all during one weekend in November.

Over the years Copenhagen Irish Festival has helped launch many Irish bands starting an international career. Bands such as Altan, Dervish, Danú, Gráda and Caladh Nua all had some of their first concerts abroad at the festival. Also the well–established play a prominent part of the festival program, like last year’s Sharon Shannon and Paul Brady.
This year the festival marks its 35th anniversary with Teáda. Seamus Begley, The Rambling Boys of Pleasure, The Jeremiahs, Keeva, Socks in The Frying Pan, Céilí, Art Exhibition and Jam Sessions.

All the action takes place right in the heart of Copenhagen in the locations of recent years, Den Brune Kødby. The festival welcomes visitors from home and abroad.

For further information visit the website www.irishfestival.dk or www.facebook.com/copenhagen.irish.festival

October 19th – 20th, 2013
www.newyorktradfest.org

With so much great Irish trad in New York, you’d think there would be festivals every month. But you’d be wrong: Tony DeMarco, who runs the Sunday night session at the 11th Street in the East Village, where the pros go to play when they’ve finished their gig, has put together the first annual New York Tradfest.

If you’ve been looking for an excuse to visit the city, this is it. The festival will take place on Saturday, October 19th and on Sunday October 20th.

And many of the New York regulars will be gathering to play together. At this first festival, which Tony says is starting small, there are already 30 performers booked. Among them: Eileen Ivers and Greg Anderson; Brian Conway and Brendan Dolan, Matt Mancuso; Cillian Vallely; Tony Trischka and Andy Statman. Those last two don’t play Irish: it’s important to Tony that the trad includes other traditions. This year, that includes bluegrass and Appalachian. Next year, it could be Greek, Indian, Asian, reflecting the melting pot that is the Big Apple. “It’s New York City,” Tony says. As in, “It’s a no brainer.”
The musos will be playing at Connolly’s Klub 45 on West 45th Street on October 19th. But “there are no headliners,” Tony says. Everybody he asked said yes immediately, and everybody’s being paid the same. Don Meade, who runs the Blarney Star series at Glucksman Ireland House, will be MC.

Tony says the idea for the festival was inspired by two things: One is the Ennis Tradfest, which takes place in pubs, with primarily local musicians. The other is the realization that there hasn’t been a good trad festival in town in well over 10 years.
(more…)

October 11th – 13th, 2013
www.anbhoth.ie

October 11th – 13th marks the 7th Scoil Cheoil na Botha traditional weekend in Scotstown, Co. Monaghan. Building on the success of the preceeding Scoil Cheoil na Botha weekends and reflecting an upturn in traditional music fortunes in the county, Scotstown will once again host some of the finest traditional music talent.
(more…)

Cúltur Cuan Eochaille
October 14th–20th, 2013
www.corkrebelweek2013.com

The Youghal version of Cork Rebel Week is entitled Cúltur Cuan Eochaille which translates to The Hinterland around Youghal Harbour.

It is a local partnership approach to engage with Cork’s Flagship Gathering project. The partnership includes Youghal Town Council, Youghal Credit Union, Youghal Chamber of Tourism and Commerce, Youghal4All, Youghal Rugby, GAA, Gortroe Ladies, Youghal Celebrates History, Local artists, restaurants and pubs and Community Radio Youghal all working together with Comhaltas.
(more…)

The team behind this year’s historic Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Derry have announced that An Fhéile Phan Cheilteach (the Pan Celtic Festival) will be hosted in Derry in 2014 and 2015 at a Buíochas event held to thank Fleadh volunteers.

The festival will take place in the North of Ireland for the first time during Easter week 2014 and 2015 and attracts visitors to the host venue from all over Ireland as well as the Celtic nations of Brittany, Cornwall, Isle of Man, Scotland and Wales.  More than 10,000 people will participate in and attend a range of activities and events including the Festival Parade, harp, fiddle, piping, choral and traditional singing competitions.  There will also be themed nights from each of the nations as well as a Camogie Blitz.

Gearóid Ó hEára, Chairperson of the International Pan Celtic Festival Doire 2014/15 said:

“We have shown that Derry is a centre of excellence for music, culture and that this city is made to host events of this nature. The announcement that we will now host the Pan Celtic Festival north of the border for the first time is a tangible legacy of the Fleadh, this Festival brings together people from these islands and Brittany in a quite unique celebration of Celtic culture.  It is an honour for Derry to host this event and we are sure that the people of Derry will extend a fáilte mhór to all our visitors.  We are also confident that local people will embrace and participate fully in the Féile.

“Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin wants to thank the County Board of the GAA, Derry City Council, and the Derry Visitor and Convention Bureau for their support for Derry’s bid to host the Festival.”

October 4th – 6th, 2013, Nobber, Co. Meath
www.ocarolanharpfestival.ie
Barco and The Chronicles of Meath  to play at O’Carolan Harp, Cultural & Heritage Festival Nobber, Co.Meath.

Barco – The DeBarra Brothers, a family steeped in traditional Irish  music.  Individually these young men lead amazing musical careers, but it’s when they come together as a family musically that the sparks fly.  You are guaranteed an unforgettable night of dance-music, gorgeous airs and evocative old songs.
(more…)

www.trocaire.org/trad

WHAT? Trocaire and Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann are launching national ‘Trad for Trocaire’ week (Friday 27thSeptember to Friday 4th October 2013) with ‘Super Ceili’ at The Village Venue, on Wexford Street, Dublin 2 on Friday 27thSeptember 2013.

Super Ceili is the world’s first traditional music nightclub that has created a whole new genre of music, ‘Ceili Haus’. But this is not an average ceili. There will be no Siege of Ennis or Walls of Limerick. It’s a live DJ mash up of traditional Irish music with dance, electro and R & B.
(more…)