Feile na hInse online traditional music festival to be hosted by Inishowen Traditional Music Project

For those involved in music the pandemic has been particularly severe.

With cancelled classes, concerts and festivals, musicians have been left without work and students have had to cope with severe interruptions to music tuition. Inishowen Traditional Music Project has also been affected, having to postpone the performance of the Inishowen Trad Orchestra just as the country went into lockdown last year.

However, ITMP has been quick to adapt and has moved projects such as its Summer Concert Series online, with socially distanced recordings and archive footage ITMP delivered a summer of the best of Inishowen’s talent online.

It also presented its project, Amhrain Inis Eoghain online in October 2020 and the incredibly well received ‘Splendid Isolation’ film in January 2021. With over eighty children filmed and recorded this project used technology to tell the children’s story through music, film and poetry. It has been viewed over 12,000 times online.

ITMP with the generous support of the Arts Council of Ireland is delighted now to host Feile na hInse, Inishowen 2021, from May 14 to 16. As we are still in the midst of the pandemic all events will be hosted online and are accessible through our website at www.inishowenmusic.ie

Concert performances

ZODOMO

ITMP are grateful for the continued support from the Irish Traditional Music Archive in helping them launch their festival on Friday, May 14 at 3pm. ITMA will host on their online platforms ZODOMO in concert filmed by ITMA in Moville, Inishowen at Feile na hInse 2018.

ZODOMO features Zoë Conway, Donal Lunny and Máirtín O’Connor, all three are renowned individually and for their work with musicians worldwide.

Honoria Galwey

Also filmed at Feile na hInse 2018 in conjunction with ITMA is music from Honoria Galwey’s

‘Old Croonauns and other tunes’. This concert will be screened on Sunday, May 16 and will feature musicians and singers from Inishowen performing music from Honoria’s collection.

Honoria collected music from around Inishowen during the 1880s.

Newly Filmed concerts

The SíFiddlers- Talk and Tunes

They are delighted to present a performance by the SíFiddlers- Talk and Tunes. 13 Donegal fiddlers including Máiread Ní Mhaonaigh, Tara Connaghan, Bríd Harper, Clare Friel, Claire Gallagher, Theresa Kavanagh, Clodagh Warnock, Aisling Byrne, Liz Doherty, Roisin McGrory, Melanie Houton, Eimear McColgan and Denise Boyle.

Cathal Curran and Marty Barry in concert

Cathal Curran, from Gaoth Dobhair, Co.Donegal & Marty Barry from Banbridge, Co.Down join forces to bring you a special concert. Both Cathal Curran & Marty Barry come from families deeply rooted in the song tradition and can trace their musical lineage back to the 1880s. Their interests in music come from songs and stories they collected. Cathal, from his aunts Caitlín and Bríd Joe Jack, and Marty through his great-grandmother renowned singe Margaret Barry.

The Mentor Concert

Performances by the mentors Ryan Molloy, Caítlin Nic Gabhann and Grainne Hambly

ITMP selected four young musicians from Inishowen to take part in a six week mentor program with Ryan Molloy (piano), Caitlín Nic Gabhann (concertina) and Gráinne Hambly (harp). The

Mentor concert will feature performances by Ryan, Caitlín and Gráinne and introduce you to the young musicians Kieva McGonagle, Ciara Gilmore, Hanna Fiorentini and Ella McGrory who took part in the programme.

Paddy Byrne – The Tunes

Paddy Byrne (1918-2003) was a fiddle player and composer from Malin, Inishowen. This concert introduced by Tom Byrne, Paddy’s son will feature tunes played by Paddy and a selection of his compositions performed by Michael Carey, Michael Gallanagh, Helen Haughey, Clodagh Warnock, Edel McLaughlin, Melanie & Paula Houton, Eimear McColgan,

Kathy McLaughlin, Breda Doherty and Roisin McGrory.

In Memory of Paddy Byrne.

This performance will be followed by a concert presented by Ceol na gConallach, Kilcar,

Co.Donegal, In Memory of Paddy Byrne. This concert was recorded in 2019 and includes musicians, Tom Byrne, Michael Gallanagh, Michael Carey, Helen Haughey, Clodagh Warnock, Roisin McGrory, Stephen Gallagher, Marie Fitzpatrick and Barry McShane.

Around Inishowen

Concert performances by the next generation of musicians drawn from various music classes around Inishowen. ITMP celebrates the wealth of music being passed on to the next generation, this concert gives a flavour of some of the talent emerging.

Workshops

This year’s tutors at Feile na hInse’s online workshops include some of Ireland’s most celebrated musicians:

Caitlín NicGabhann (concertina), Gráinne Hambly (harp), Cathal Curran (banjo), Paul

McClure (bodhran), Daithí Gormley (button accordion), Aidan O Donnell (fiddle), Damien

Mc Geehan (fiddle), Martin Tourish (piano accordion), Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn (uilleann pipes), Kevin Meehan (whistle), Maeve O’Donnell (whistle).

Each tutor has prepared a 40 minute video lesson.

Once you purchase your lesson you have one month to access the video, giving you time to work through it in your own home.

By popular demand they are screening Ark of Tides- The music and life of Dinny McLaughlin.

A documentary film produced by ITMP in 2013 to honour the legendary fiddle player from

Shandrum, Buncrana - Dinny McLaughlin.

The film features interviews, stories, along with performances of Dinny’s own compositions.

Session

They will also host a slow tempo live session through zoom. All you need to do is register for your link to join us.

Excluding workshops all events are free. You must register for links to events.

Workshop tickets and event links are available now www.inishowenmusic.ie

For further information contact [email protected]