Waterford musician Rebecca McCarthy-Kent took home the Seán Ó Riada Gold Medal and a cheque for €2500 at the final in the Rochestown Park Hotel in Cork over the weekend.  There were seventeen in total in the final, which was focused on fiddle this year.

Rebecca, 23, is from Tramore, Co. Waterford and plays both classical and traditional music and also composes, with a special interest in classical/trad fusion.  Fiddle and piano are her main instruments.  She is currently studying for a Masters in Traditional Music Performance in The Irish World Academy of Music and Dance in the University of Limerick, and is a qualified primary school teacher.

Rebecca comes from a musical family, her mother Áine and her father Stephen play music, and her sister Jana is a talented flute player.  Rebecca has seventy pupils under her care in music classes in Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann in Tramore, where she is in charge of the Grúpaí Ceoil Under 12, Under 15 and Under 18, as well as running music classes every weekend.

Rebecca was surprised and delighted to be announced as the winner:

“I was in absolute shock that I won and couldn’t believe it for ages, but I’m over the moon.  It’s a particular honour to have won a medal named after Seán Ó Riada.”

The final for the Seán Ó Riada Gold Medal was presented live on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta by musician and composer Peadar Ó Riada.  Rebecca was one of four musicians from Waterford, and there were also three musicians who flew in from the USA for the event.

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Bonn Óir Séan Ó Riada do Rebecca McCarthy-Kent

Ba í Rebecca McCarthy-Kent,23, as an Trá Mhór i bPort Láirge a thug léi Bonn Óir Seán Ó Riada ag an gcomórtas in Óstán an Rochestown Park i gCorcaigh oíche Dé hAoine.  Tá Rebecca cáilithe mar mhúinteoir bunscoile, agus faoi láthair tá sí ag tabhairt faoi chéim mháistreachta sa cheol traidisiúnta in Ollscoil Luimnigh.  Casann sí ceol traidisiúnta agus ceol clasaiceach, agus tá duaiseanna go leor buaite aici, ina measc craobh na hÉireann san fhidil agus sa phíanó ag Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.  Tá níos mó ná 70 duine ag freastal ar a cuid ranganna ceoil i gComhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann sa Trá Mhór, agus tá sí i bhfeighil freisin ar na grúpaí ceoil faoi 12, faoi 15 agus faoi 18 ansin.

Tá ceol sa teaghlach.  Is ceoltóirí iad a beirt tuismitheoirí, Áine agus Stephen, agus a deirfiúr Jana (21), leis, a chasann an fheadóg mhór.

Is cumadóir í Rebecca freisin, agus cumann sí ceol traidisiúnta, agus ceol ar meascán idir ceol traidisiúnta agus ceol clasaiceacht é. (fusion)

Dúirt sí gur chuir sí iontas an domhain uirthi nuair a fógraíodh gurb í rogha na moltóirí í oíche Dé hAoine, agus gur mhór an onóir é bonn a bhuachaint a bhí ainmnithe do Sheán Ó Riada.

The Seán Ó Riada Gold Medal is an annual traditional music competition run by Peadar Ó Riada, son of Seán Ó Riada, on his RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta music programme Cuireadh chun Ceoil.  The competition has a four-year cycle, and is focused on a different instrument in each of those years – fiddle / flute and whistle / pipes and harp / metal reed instruments (concertina, box etc).

The winner receives the bespoke Seán Ó Riada Gold Medal, designed by the late Cashel silversmith Pádraig Ó Mathúna. The medal features an engraving of Seán Ó Riada on one side, and a design inspired by the Dán of Aimhirgín on the other.  The medal is created in solid silver, and after the competition it is engraved with the winner’s name and the year, before being coated in gold.