Traditional music week in Limerick to celebrate the legacy of father and son musicians
The Glin traditional music week in Limerick will celebrate the musical legacy of Brendan and Martin Mulvihill and it runs from October 27 until 31
THE RICH musical legacy of father and son Martin and Brendan Mulvihill will be celebrated with the Glin traditional music week at the end of October.
The highlight attraction features a series of twilight concerts and they will bring together traditional masters from both sides of the Atlantic.
The events have been curated to celebrate the links between West Limerick and America, as well as the Irish diaspora there.
Visiting performers will bring the Mulvihill music to Glin from places like New York, Maryland, Washington DC, Birmingham and other parts of England and Ireland.
The twilight concerts will feature five concert performances.
Tickets for the concerts can be purchased individually or as an all-access pass for all five.
One of the highlights is ‘The Legacy of Martin Mulvihill.’ This will feature Gabriel Fitzmaurice, Willie Kelly, Donal O’Sullivan and Donna Long - all who played with or learned from Martin Mulvihill and the concert will also feature Caoimhín Ó Fearghai, a TG4 young musician award winner.
‘Sharing the Stage and Learning from Brendan Mulvihill’ as an ensemble will feature Donna Long, Billy McComiskey, and students of Brendan – Emily Martin and Cleek Schrey who are travelling to the event from America and Donegal.
The Saturday concert, workshops and sessions will feature iconic legends of Ireland including TG4 traditional musicians of the year Catherine McEvoy (flute) and Laoise Kelly (harp), as well as Patsy Maloney, world-renowned Jesse Smith and local masters Daniel O’Brien, Sean Mulvihill, and Pa Foley.
Two dance presentations feature the Devane family from Connemara, Jonathan Kelliher, John Joe Tierney and Shannon Dunne.
In addition to the premier evening concerts, the five-day festival will include morning master classes, midday sessions at Shaughnessy's Pub, heritage walks and talks, and the prestigious Mulvihill Legacy Fiddle Competition for young players.
This is the first annual fiddle competition and there are cash prizes for first, second and third place.
The competition requires competitors to play at least one composition from Martin or Brendan or a tune from one of their recordings in each of the two sets.
There is a category for fiddle players aged between 14 and 15 and another for those aged between 16 and 21.
Committee chairperson, Clara Poffenberger said: “The twilight concert series represents the very heart of the Mulvihill legacy.
“These evening events are not typical concert sets.
“They are deliberate, transatlantic presentations that showcase how the music travelled from the fields of West Limerick to the cities of America and how it continues to enrich both communities today.”
The twilight concert series is expected to sell out quickly due to limited venue capacities.
Full schedule details, artist updates, and ticket bookings are available on the official festival website glintradweek.com.
Glin traditional music week runs from October 27-31.