2021 Programme
Clár na Féile
Programme
Saturday 21st August
Pádraig Mc Govern and Sabina Mc Cague
The Patrick Kavanagh Centre, Inniskeen, 8pm – adm. free.
Saturday 21st August
Féile Patrick Byrne are delighted to present a concert with two of Ireland’s foremost traditional musicians, Pádraig Mc Govern and Sabina Mc Cague. Pádraig and Sabina are a husband and wife duet who share a great interest in old Irish music. It is fitting that they play the two oldest and UNESCO recognised Irish instruments in the harp and the uilleann pipes.
Sabina McCague of Co. Monaghan is one of many multi instrumentalists on the music scene today. Equally proficient on harp and fiddle, Sabina holds a Bachelor of Music Degree with the Conservatory of Music and Drama, DIT. She has performed at many festivals in Ireland, Europe and the USA. She is also a recognised teacher having taught at Scoil Eigse, The Joe Mooney Summer School and The Francis O’Neill Irish Arts festival in Chicago but to name a few.
Pádraig McGovern hails from Ballymagovern, a townland in the Cavan-Leitrim border area but has resided in Monaghan town for the best part of a decade. He has recorded with numerous artists over the past decade, including a duet album with Peter Carberry entitled ‘Forgotten Gems’ (2013) and more recently with the highly acclaimed band on their self-titled album ‘Garadice’. He has worked as a researcher/performer on many projects including ‘The Leitrim Equation 4’ project and the ‘The Pipes, The Pipes’, a show devised by Dónal Dineen and produced by Siobhán O’ Malley.
This concert with Sabina and Pádraig was originally scheduled as part of Féile Patrick Byrne 2020 but had to be postponed to 2021 due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Gerry O’Connor presents Music from the Drumlins
The Patrick Kavanagh Centre, Inniskeen, 8pm – adm. free.
Saturday 21st August
Carrickmacross Comhaltas are delighted to present two concerts of Irish traditional music as part of a rescheduled and socially distanced Féile Patrick Byrne. The festival is now in its 15th year and the focus for 2021 will be on music and musicians from South Monaghan, with a particular emphasis on families as bearers of traditional arts and young emerging artists.
The Patrick Kavanagh Centre in Inniskeen will provide the venue for this series of concerts, specifically 2 recitals of music featuring the leading performers from the South Monaghan area. Called ‘Music From The Drumlins’, each night will be presented by legendary Dundalk fiddle player Gerry O’Connor. Gerry has fulfilled the role of festival patron of Féile Patrick Byrne for a number of years now. Each evening he will host these events showcasing the best of traditional music from ‘Kavanagh country’.
Sunday 31st October
Sinéad Finnegan and Gráinne Smith with James Finnegan
The Patrick Kavanagh Centre, Inniskeen, 8pm – adm. free.
Sunday 31st October
Sinéad and Gráinne have been stalwarts of the local traditional music scene for the last few years. Both Gráinne and Sinéad began their music education with Carrickmacross CCÉ and together they have won fleadh competitions as solo and group competitors at county, provincial and All-Ireland level.
Gráinne is an Ulster champion on button accordion and was a leading player in the vibrant traditional music scene in Belfast prior to Covid. She has performed in a number of bands in Europe and North America and has featured on TG4.
Sinéad is an Ulster senior fiddle Champion and is a highly regarded player and workshop teacher on the South Ulster traditional music scene. Along with Gráinne she anchored the long-running and successful music session in Toales of Dundalk.
Seán Ó Roideáin with Aoife Ní Roideáin and Keith Courtney
The Patrick Kavanagh Centre, Inniskeen, 8pm – adm. free.
Sunday 31st October
Seán is a singer songwriter in both the Irish traditional and contemporary folk genres. He contributed seven songs to the Sounds of 16 album released by the branch in 2016 as part of a 1916 centenary project. Seán is currently working on the ‘Awash With Colour’ project, a joint initiative of the MOPOSOGS writing collective and Arts As Exchange, a visual arts group from Dundalk. He is finalising his debut album which will be released next year.
Noreen Mc Manus, Francis Mc Mahon, Brian Walsh and Seán Walsh.
The Patrick Kavanagh Centre, Inniskeen, 8pm – adm. free.
Sunday 31st October
This quartet of teachers have backboned the Carrickmacross CCÉ music classes for the last two decades and they are acknowledged as having largely fostered the growing traditional music community in this area. Noreen and Francis have both produced All-Ireland winning groups while brothers Brian and Seán hold All-Ireland titles as solo musicians. When not teaching with Carrickmacross CCÉ, all four are individually involved with either the Cú Chulainn Celtic Strings, Ceoltóirí Drumlin, the Walsh School of Music or the Oriel Traditional Orchestra. This is a rare opportunity to hear these great traditional musicians who would normally shun the spotlight in favour of their students.
Aoife Mc Cabe
The Patrick Kavanagh Centre, Inniskeen, 8pm – adm. free.
Sunday 31st October
Aoife is the current All-Ireland sean nós dancing champion. A member of Aughnamullen CCÉ, she is a graduate of University of Limerick’s Irish music and dance programme and has previously tutored at Féile Patrick Byrne.
Saturday 6th November
Patrick Mc Grane and Andrew Kelly
The Patrick Kavanagh Centre, Inniskeen, 8pm – adm. free.
Saturday 6th November
Graduates of the Carrickmacross CCÉ music classes, both Patrick and Andrew hail from Magheracloone. They performed together in various traditional music groups and céilí bands in their teens before singly making full-time music careers.
Patrick is a virtuoso accordion player who has toured the World with a number of Irish dance shows, including Rhythm of the Dance. Newly returned to his native Magheracloone, local audiences will finally get an opportunity to see why audiences from China to the United States were in awe of his playing.
Andrew Kelly’s distinctive rhythmic banjo playing has captivated audiences all over Europe. While performing with the Celtic Steps dance show abroad, he recorded a solo banjo album. Locally he has played extensively with the ever popular Fuzzy Burgers.
Eilis Lavelle
The Patrick Kavanagh Centre, Inniskeen, 8pm – adm. free.
Saturday 6th November
Eilis is one of Ireland’s leading harpers. A multiple award winner and recipient of the Leo Rowsome award for the highest achievement in traditional music, she is currently undertaking doctoral research at Queens University on the Edward Bunting manuscripts at Queens University. Eilis has previously recorded with Skippers Alley and performed with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.
James Finnegan and Kevin Sewell with Eamonn Sewell and Niamh Ridley
The Patrick Kavanagh Centre, Inniskeen, 8pm – adm. free.
Saturday 6th November
James and Kevin are also products of the Carrickmacross CCÉ music classes. Both full-time students, their holidays have involved them honing their skills as resident Summer musicians in Lisdoonvarna. Individually they are both multi-instrumentalists.
Kevin is a provincial bodhrán and tin whistle champion and holds All-Ireland titles as a member of Ceoltóirí Drumlin groups. He has been a mainstay of the Dublin session scene until his recent move to Cork where he is undertaking doctoral research in UCC.
James is known mainly as a banjo player but he is also the current All-Ireland champion in both the mandolin and bouzouki competitions. He is a highly regarded music teacher who has also developed the very successful Banjo Buddy website and has recently published The Banjo Buddy tune book of 365 traditional Irish tunes.
James and Kevin will be joined by Niamh Ridley on fiddle and Éamonn Sewell who will dance in the sean nós style.
Carrickmacross Comhaltas would like to acknowledge the assistance of Monaghan County Council Arts Office, The Arts Council of Ireland, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media who have all helped to make these concerts possible.
