FOUR DAYS OF GREAT MUSIC
November 6th – 9th, 2014
www.irishfestival.dk

During the first long weekend in November, Copenhagen will be buzzing with Irish music. The annual festival includes some of the best new acts together established bands and legends from Ireland.

Enjoy traditional Irish atmosphere, music, song and dance at the many concerts and sessions and be sure not to miss out on the big Sunday céilí. The Copenhagen Irish Festival is situated in the heart of the city and close to hotels and public transport.
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www.returntocamden.org

There will be a fantastic double bill concert on Friday July 18th, 2014 to help raise funds for staging the 16th Return to Camden Town Festival. The Concert features: Le Chéile and The London Lasses and Chris O’Malley.  Doors open at 8pm at Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regent’s Park Road, London NW1 7AY. Tickets £10 (advance), £12 (on door), £5 (under 18s). Tickets available from www.returntocamden.org

The 16th Return to Camden Town Festival will be a five–day extravaganza of the finest in traditional Irish music, song and dance running from Wednesday 22nd until Sunday 26th October 2014 at various venues including: Kings Place, The Green Note, London Irish Centre, Musical Traditions Club and more.
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October 1st–5th, 2014

Oulu, Finland

www.irkku.fi

The 9th annual Irish Festival of Oulu takes place October 1st–5th, 2014 in Oulu, Finland. This 5–day event in a surprising location in the very North of Europe showcases the best of Irish culture in signature style, attracting audiences from near and far.

Described by fans as “original, full of craic, welcoming, and intimate”, the 2014 festival has a world–class programme showcasing numerous art forms. The festival is known for bringing in the biggest and the freshest names in the Irish music world, and this year is no exception. Raw Bar Collective, Caitlín Nic Gabhann and Ciarán Ó Maonaigh, and Socks in the Frying Pan team up with the best of the local bands for two scintillating evenings of the best traditional music. For the festival main event, legendary sisters Tríona and Maighréad Ní Dhomhnaill will capture audiences with their harmonic songs, prepping the crowds for Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill, who make their festival premiere in Finland.
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September 11th–14th, 2014

www.dingletradfest.com

Dingle Tradfest kicks–off on September 11th and will run until September 14th. In its well–established 4th year, the festival will host a series of concerts, a themed session trail and outdoor events, including Tom Crean’s Expedition and session on Cnoc

a’ Cairn and the addition of a busking competition.

Dingle Tradfest promotes Irish traditional music in an innovative way, emphasising especially the creativity of young traditional musicians on the scene today. Up and coming acts featuring this year include The Paddy O’ Callaghan Trio, Cillian King & Band, Barry Tierney and the winners of the online group competition and will perform at various venues throughout the weekend. The annual Trad Disco with uber–cool DJ Conor Crimmins will take place at Club HTWO on Saturday night. The main stage festival concert will take place in Saint James Church on Saturday night and feature renowned artists such as Tola Custy and Laoise Kelly. Dingle Tradfest will certainly be the place to be in September with a host of concerts, free session trail and lots lots more. More artists and events will be announced shortly.
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Bath Folk Festival

August 9th–17th, 2014

www.bathfolkfestival.org

2014 Line–Up Announced

Venues across Bath will host a range of exciting events celebrating traditional music, dance and culture as part of Bath Folk Festival 2014. The festival runs between August 9th– 17th and includes performances from Martin Carthy, Sheelanagig, Rory McLeod, The Ballina Whalers, Tyn Daga, Jez Hellard and the Dukella Orchestra, Inu, Kings and Folk, Crowd, The Dead Rat Orchestra, Nasrudin, and many more.

Free events include a special family fun day at Bath City Farm featuring Rory McLeod, and live music every day in the city centre.

A five day traditional music summer school gives people of all ages and standards the chance to learn traditional tunes and techniques. Students receive three hours of group tuition per day with expert tutors, workshops, tutor recitals, masterclasses and sessions. Summer school rates are £140 (adults) and £100 (children).
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August 6th – 11th, 2014

www.feaklefestival.ie

The Feakle festival’s enduring legacy is its commitment to the best in Irish traditional music and this year’s programme is no exception. From ICE, an ensemble of concertinas, the dulcet harmonies of Lumiere, accordion great Donal Murphy and his Band to Feakle’s own Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill, there is much to choose from. “Music with heart, music with soul, music to inspire, music with fun and laughter.” that’s what we look for when putting our programme together said Festival Director, Gary Pepper. The full programme can now be seen on the following festival website. www.feaklefestival.ie

On Wednesday’s opening night renowned concertina player Dr. Tim Collins will present a lecture on “Traditional Music and the Sensuous Production and Expression of Place in Sliabh Aughty,” which examines the Sliabh Aughty dialect of Irish traditional music, which encompasses the traditional music communities of East Clare and East Galway.
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July 26th – August 2nd, 2014

www.scoilacla.com

Achill Island, Co. Mayo

The annual Scoil Acla summer school takes place on Achill Island, Co. Mayo. Scoil Acla is Ireland’s 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 in Art, 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, exhibitions and much more.

Scoil Acla invites a musician in residence each year to attend the summer school. Previous musicians in residence include: John E Lavelle, Joe Burke and Ann Conroy Burke, Liam O’ Connor, John Carty, Mary Bergin, Laoise Kelly, Catherine McEvoy, Michael O’Raghallaigh, Mick O’Brien,Treasa Ní Cheannabhain, Brenndán Ó Beaglaoich and Eileen O’Brien, many of whom have joined them as tutors. We are delighted to announce that this year’s musician in residence is none other than the Céili House presenter Kieran Hanrahan.

Why not join them on Ireland’s largest island for a summer school of music, culture, history agus gaeilge.

Is i ár dTeanga is ár gceol ár nDúchas ‘Ó nach breá a bheith ag siúl na trá, is ag fánaíocht faoin spéir, Faoi dhraíocht ag cur na mara ann, is a cheol i ndeireadh lae, In Acaill aoibhinn álainn glas is binne glór na n–éan, Ó gabh i leith, tabhair cuairt gan teip, ar a muintir Ghaelach shéimh,’ (Brian Ó Baoill 2010).

For further information visit the website www.scoilacla.com their Twitter or Facebook profiles or email: info@scoilacla.com

July 20th – 27th, 2014

www.fiddlersgreenfestival.co.uk

Rostrevor, Co. Down, Northern Ireland

2013 was an excellent year for this International Festival. Thousands of people attended the eight day event enjoying artists such as the Sands Family, Bill Whelan, Sharon Shannon, Mairtin O Connor, Cathal Hayden, Seamie O’Dowd, Beoga, Si Van, Zoë Conway and a host of other artists local and international.

The 2014 organising committee has been formed and the 28th Festival Celebrations are well–advanced. Beginning as a one day event, the festival now extends to eight days and nights of music, culture and entertainment. With nearly 200 events it caters for music lovers, families who wish to enjoy the safe child focused children’s programme (5 days) and those who come to soak up the wonderful scenery, friendliness and free entertainment.

Based in the scenic village of Rostrevor, the Festival provides outdoor céilís, an open air stage all day on Saturday and Sundays and evenings, Monday to Friday, lunch, evening and night time music clubs, art exhibitions, walks, talks and the now legendary Literary Pub Crawl.

Each year the festival bestows two awards, the Hall of Fame award which celebrates a life long achievement in Irish Music (2013 Sharon Shannon) and a Creative Arts Award (2013 Bill Whelan) to acknowledge the Arts and Literary fields. The recipients for 2014 will be named closer to the Festival launch in June 2014.

For more information visit www.facebook.com/fiddlersgreenfestival
or via email:info@fiddlersgreenfestival.co.uk

www.rte.ie/rnag

I mbliana, tabharfaidh RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta a 42ú cuairt ar Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy, agus beidh siad ag craoladh beo ó Shráid na Cathrach ó Dhomhnach go hAoine.

Dé Domhnaigh 6 Iúil, tosóidh an craoladh le coirm cheoil dhá uair an chloig beo ó Halla an Phobail ag 8 pm, Éirinn is Alba, a dhéanfaidh ceiliúradh ar an dlúthcheangal idir Alba agus Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy.

Ar na ceoltóirí a bheidh páirteach sa choirm, beidh Allan MacDonald, Alannah MacInnes, Kirsten Allstaff, Margaret Bennett agus grúpa ó Cape Breton.  Ar thaobh na hÉireann, beidh Cathal McConnell, Seán Óg Potts, Kevin Glackin, Paul McGrattan, Éamon agus Geraldine Cotter le Charlie Harris, agus Damhsóirí Seite Eugene Donnellan, gan ach cuid acu a lua.

Ansin, gach lá ó Luan go hAoine ag 2 pm, beidh Seán Bán Breathnach sa chathaoir le craic, ceol agus spraoi beo ón Ródaí i gcroílár Shráid na Cathrach.

Beidh Eagraí Ceoil na seirbhíse, Neansaí Ní Choisdealbha, sa chathaoir tráthnóna Máirt, Céadaoin agus Déardaoin ag 7 pm do Cheol Binn ó na Beanna.  Beidh togha na gceoltóirí beo ar an gclár aici, idir shean agus óg, daoine clúiteacha agus iad siúd atá muid díreach ag cur aithne orthu.

Muna mbeidh sé ar do chumas a bheith i Sráid na Cathrach, gheobhaidh tú blaiseadh maith den spraoi ó Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy 2014 ar RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta.  Is féidir éisteacht ar 92-94 fm, nó ar líne www.rte.ie/rnag, ar feadh na seachtaine.   Beidh féiríní ag foireann RnaG, freisin, ag an Ródaí dóibh siúd atá i láthair.

RnaG live from Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy all week
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Fri. 24th Oct. 2014 – Hawk’s Well Theatre

Ireland’s Folk, Roots & Indie Festival celebrates 10 years of quality music on the Wild Atlantic Way
22nd – 27th October 2014

www.sligolive.ie

One of the most exciting acts on the contemporary British folk scene; Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow (O’HOOLEY & TIDOW) will feature in an exciting double bill with eclectic Irish folk band, NoCrows as part of Sligo Live Festival on Friday 24th October 2014. The concert, co-produced by the Hawk’s Well will commence at 8pm and tickets are on sale from www.sligolive.ie at €18.  Weekend tickets for all Sligo Live performances, including headliner, Sheryl Crow are on sale from the same site at €116

O’HOOLEY & TIDOW:
O’Hooley and Tidow have forged an enviable reputation in the UK since their formation in 2009. Now extending their reach around Europe, they are accomplished interpreters of everything from Massive Attack to traditional Irish ballads, but it’s their own boundless songwriting and exquisite harmonies that truly shine. They have the originality and skill to invite comparison with celebrated North American harmony duos, from early Simon and Garfunkel to the iconic Kate and Anna McGarrigle. Lyrically and musically, Belinda and Heidi’s powerful, deeply moving, and at times spine-tingling performances are infused with an honesty and empathy that will disarm even the hardest of heart.
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