Music links between Louth and Donegal to be celebrated in film screening
The Life and Times of Johnny Doherty” will examine links between Oriel and southwest Donegal
An award winning film which explores the musical links between the Oriel area and southwest Donegal will screen in Newry next week.
The screening of the award-winning documentary television programme, “The Life and Times of Johnny Doherty” at Gaeláras Mhic Ardghail next Wednesday 17th April offers an opportunity to examine and celebrate the extraordinary links between Oriel and southwest Donegal, which reach back many generations.
Since Peadar Ó Dubdha moved his Irish speaking college from Omeath to Rannafast in 1924, generations of families from this area have made annual pilgrimages to Rannafast and other areas of the Donegal Gaeltacht to improve their Irish, and immerse themselves in the rich traditions of music, songs and poetry.
The musical talents of the famed Donegal travelling family, the Dohertys, dates back as far as the flight of the Earls in 1607.
The Hardee's left Doe Castle on the shores of Sheep Haven and since then continued the family business of travelling tinsmiths, musicians, storytellers and men of literature.
More recently, John claims that he was descended from Turloch Mac Suibhne, An Píobaireach Mór, whose ancestral home was south west Donegal in the 18th century.
The documentary will be presented by Bronagh McAtasney on behalf of NIScreen and she is keen to encourage questions and discussions on the material.
Volunteers from OTMA will also be on hand to locate the documentary in the context of the Oriel Traditional Music Archive.
“Every young traditional musician, and certainly every fiddle player should attend this very important presentation. The intergenerational dimension of learning and assimilating Irish traditional music is a key component of our tradition” says Tommy Fegan, piper and co-author of the book Free Spirits- Irish Travellers and Irish Traditional Music, and he adds that “without understanding the past, we can’t hope to fulfil our musical ambitions for the future”.
In addition to the documentary, OTMA is presenting a fascinating story on a recent surprise find of a song written over 40 years ago, and thought to have been lost. It has a political, cultural and a humorous twist.
The event is organised by the Oriel Traditional Music Archive and will take place on Wednesday 17th April, 7pm-9pm in the Gaeláras Mhic Ardghail, Newry. Everybody is welcome. Admission is free.
The Oriel Traditional Music Archive is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.