Sligo Live Sessions takes place from October 26th to 31st 2011

The first annual Sligo Live Festival night at Celtic Connections exceeded all expectations last Saturday when St. Andrews in the Square was packed to capacity. It was a unique and somewhat historic event with the UK based festival promoting an Irish festival - Celtic Connections in Scotland (the largest of its type in Europe hosting over 1500 artists, 300 events over 18 days) hosted a Sligo Live Festival night on Saturday night, 22nd January 2011. Showcasing Irish artists, the night kicked off with Tucan who’s dynamic music energised the lively audience. Tucan were followed by The Unwanted whose unique blend of Country/Folk was delivered in a warm, versatile and passionate way, with Sligo based music legend Seamie O’Dowd in particularly good form leaving the audience spellbound.
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www.templebartrad.com
Organised by Gael Linn for the past 10 years and supported by Irish Music Magazine and RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, Siansa is now one of the country’s most prestigious competitions for young traditional Irish music and singing groups. The dynamic group IOSCAID from Northern Ireland, winners of the 2010 competition, will present an exciting programme of tunes and songs at this family concert ! Group members include Déaglán Mag Aoidh – Button Accordian/Pianó; Ciaran Ó hAnnaidh – Concertina; Diarmuid Ó Maolchalainn –Banjo/Bozouki/Double Bass/Songs; Fiontán Ó Maolchalainn –Whistles/Bodhrán; Niall Mac Murchú –Fiddle; Niall Mac Riocaird – Guitar/B.vocals
Venue: The Ark, Temple Bar
Date: Sunday 30 January
Time: 12 noon
Age range: All the family
Duration: 50 minutes
Tickets: €5

www.scoilacla.com

The annual Scoil Acla summer school takes place this year from the 25th until the 31st of July on Achill Island, Co. Mayo. 2010 was a very important milestone for Scoil Acla as both the centenary and the 25th anniversary of the summer school were celebrated.
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12th Shannonside Winter Music Weekend Bigger and Better

www.wmw.ie

Sixmilebridge, Co Clare: With an impressive line-up that included Eleanor Shanley, Sliabh Notes, and bluegrass band Special Consensus from the US, the Shannonside Winter Music Weekend in Sixmilebridge, organised by Sixmilebridge Folk Club, was a great place to revive the spirit and banish any post-Christmas blues. Held over the weekend 13 – 16 January, there were 48 events over the four days, and one common complaint was the dilemma of choosing one event over another.
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July 24th-31st 2011, Rostrevor Co. Down, Northern Ireland.
www.fiddlersgreenfestival.co.uk

2010 was an excellent year for this International Festival with thousands of people attending during the 8 days, enjoying such artists as the Sands Family, Tom Paxton, Matt Moloy and Eleanor Shanley.

Now the 2011 organising committee has been formed and the 25th anniversary celebrations are well advanced.
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Celtic Connections on Saturday, 22nd January 2011
www.sligolive.ie

North West event will be exposed to a large UK and European audience

In what promises to be a unique and somewhat historic event “when a UK based festival promotes an Irish festival”, Celtic Connections in Scotland (the largest of its type in Europe hosting over 1500 artists, 300 events over 18 days) hosts a Sligo Live festival night on Saturday, 22nd January 2011. The Sligo Live night, which is set to become an annual event at Celtic Connections, is part of a newly formed partnership between the two festivals and this year will feature acts from County Sligo to highlight the abundance of talent the region has to offer, which is considered by many to be one of Ireland’s primary music hubs. The three acts that will perform as part of the event are; traditional music group Teada, Americana/Celtic/Folk act The Unwanted, and Flamenco/Jazz act Túcan.
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www.inishowensinging.ie

The 22nd Inishowen International Folk Song & Ballad Seminar 2011 focuses this year on the theme of women in traditional song.

Over the 4 day festival, March 18-21, we will celebrate the role of women as singers, as collectors and as keepers of the tradition.  In performance you will hear Chris Miles – Scotland; Ingrid Temple – England; Bonnie Milner – USA; Brigitte Kloareg – Brittany alongside Donegal performers, Rita Gallagher, Máire Ní Choilm, Liz Doherty, Roseanne McGonigle, Annie Hirrel and Grace Toland. 2011 will also see the first performance of our children’s choir from Cloontagh School, Clonmany singing songs from their own tradition. Singer / collector Roisín White tells the story of Sarah Anne O’Neill, the legendary Tyrone singer, while Nicholas Carolan delves in to the world of American women collectors in 1950s Ireland.

A workshop on Sunday morning with The Donegal Singers will send you home with some new songs for your repertoire. The weekend is filled with opportunities for all who visit to participate in sessions and an opportunity is given to record a song for posterity with the Irish Traditional Music Archive.

For further details contact Grace Toland 087 2903799, visit our website www.inishowensinging.ie or facebook.  We really look forward to meeting you in Inishowen in March 2011.

www.templebartrad.com

TradFest is delighted to be showcasing up and coming groups to this year’s festival, adding a modern twist to traditional trad!

Already very established in the Irish music scene BEOGA will take to the stage in the Button Factory on Thursday 27 January as part of a double bill with emerging Irish performers Ciorras. Guaranteed to live up to their name - the Irish word for ‘lively’- BEOGA blend bluesy riffs with jazz and pop beats producing melodious traditional music.
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www.tradweek.com

Meitheal 2010 will run from July 18th to 22nd in Villiers School, Limerick.  A stellar cohort of tutors is being lined up, many of them from overseas. Reaction to Meitheal 2010 was extremely positive and many students highlight the Finale Concert, and the appearance at the National Concert Hall as being unforgettable experiences.

The full line-up of tutors is as follows:

Alan Kelly – Piano accordeon

Brian Morrissey – banjo

Mairtin O Connor – box

Brid Harper – fiddle

Holly Geraghty – harp

Mick O Brien – flute & pipes

Steph Geremia – flute

Tola Custy – fiddle

Tommy Fitzharris - concertina

Many of last year’s award winners have already played at the events for which they were chosen.  Seamus Harnett  has performed at Ennis Trad Fest, Annemarie Bell and the group Turas Fada have played the National Concert Hall.  Killian Shannon has completed the CCE tour of Ireland.  Meanwhile, Fergal Breen, Graham Lynch, Marian Curtin and Francis Cunningham are preparing for their festival gigs in the Spring.  They have been chosen to appear at the Nyah festival in Cavan, the Kilfenora festival and also at the Corofin Trad fest, all in March.
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www.rte.ie/rnag

RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta will be taking full advantage of the benefits of modern communications technology on Friday to allow musician Martin Hayes to judge a traditional fiddle competition from New York, although the competition will be taking place 3000 miles away in Cork.  15  fiddlers will take to the stage in the Rochestown Park Hotel on Friday for the final of the competition hoping to win a gold medal and the €5000 prize money, and they will be judged by 3 musicians of international renown - Martin Hayes, legendary Clare fiddler who will judge the competition via Skype from New York, together with Seán Keane of The Chieftains, and Liam O’ Connor, TG4 Young Musician of the Year 2002, who will both be at the concert in Cork.
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