New music TV series to feature the best from Derry, Donegal and beyond

Kicking off on Sunday January 8, 2023, over seven weeks, Féile Ealaíne na hEaragaile on TG4 combines highlights of seven concerts recorded in front of lives audiences in An Grianán Theatre in Letterkenny, with specially curated intimate performances recorded in various locations around Donegal county in the Summer of 2022.

Féile Ealaíne na hEaragaile is presented by two new faces on TG4 - renowned young Donegal singer and musician Cathal Ó Curráin, along with the well-known singer Sibéal Ní Chasaide from Ráth Chairn in County Meath.

Donegal women are very much to the fore in the first programme from Féile Ealaíne na hEaragaile with The Sí Fiddlers taking centre stage at An Grianán. The all-female collective came together originally for a performance at the Earagail Arts Festival and they are still going strong, with well-known faces, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Bríd Harper, Tara Conaghan and others from all around the county bringing the best of their own regions to this powerful line-up. Also appearing is performer and composer Belfast man Neil Martin, a regular visitor to Donegal, on cello, whistle and pipes along with Séamus Maguire. Presenter Cathal Ó Curráin takes the opportunity to showcase his talent along with former teacher and mentor Manus Lunny and young harpist Lauren Ní Néill of Glenullin in Derry is the first of the young musicians featured in the series.

On January 15, programme two is headlined by the highly regarded Ye Vagabonds, and features performances from their Folk Music Award 2022 award winning album Nine Waves. Also featured in the second programme are Paula and Melanie Houton accompanied by Steve Cooney, John McCann from Fermanagh and Molly Walls from Toombridge in Antrim accompanied by Jack Warnock from Maghera in Co. Derry. The young musician is singer Caitríona Ní Ghribín from Gaoth Dobhair in Donegal.

The ever-popular band Goitse headline programme three which goes out January 22. Also featured are the incredible duo on fiddle and keyboard Fergal Scahill and Ryan Molloy. One of Anagaire’s favourite sons, the well-known chef and sean-nós singer Brian Danny Minne Ó Domhnaill sings some lesser-known songs, and also gives a rare performance on flute. Fiddle player Sinéad McKenna from Augher in Co. Tyrone is the young musician this week.

Diane Cannon from Meenlaragh in Donegal is featured in programme four along with her musical colleagues Manus Lunny and Theresa Kavanagh. Also featured in this programme, to be broadcast on January 29 are a well-known duo on fiddle and flute, Dónal O’Connor from Dundalk and Harry Bradley from Belfast. Siblings Paul Harrigan and Róisín McGrory from Inishowen join from Ionad Cois Locha on pipes and fiddle and the young musician is Mary Josephine Ward.

After a break of one week, the series continues from Sunday February 12, featuring Honeyfeet, Clann Mhic Ruairí and the Henry Girls from the Grianán Theatre in Letterkenny along with Steve Cooney, Maggie Carty and Máirtín Staunton, Jack Warnock, Niall Hanna with Stephen Loughran and Rachel McGarrity, Cathal and Stephen Hayden with Seamaí O’Dowd, Tara Connaghan, Méabh O’Donnell, Oisín Duffy and, in the last programme, Sibéal Ní Chasaide.