Carrick-on-Shannon poet and harpist composed music for festival

A native of Carrick-on- Shannon Dr Emily Cullen composed a suit of music last month for a Literary festival in Nenagh, Co Tipperary. Dr Emily Cullen, formerly of Summerhill, Carrick-on -Shannon, is currently the "Poet in Residence" at Limerick University where she also lectures the MA students in Creative Writing .

Sometime ago the Dromineer Literary Group in Tipperary commissioned Emily to write a poem and harp music to match their 2022 Literary Festival. Emily composed ‘Sionnann - A Suite’ and she invited Eileen O'Brien -well-known Tipperary violinist - to join her. They both performed The Suite in the historic surroundings of Nenagh Castle last month. The enthralled audience gave them a standing ovation and the Tipperary Star wrote “ It was a special moment that will be cherished by those lucky to be there.”

Emily's dad, Cyril Cullen, was in the audience and he was greatly surprised to find a lady from Carrick-on -Shannon also in attendance - Rose Mahon formerly from lower Summerhill!

In the historic and atmospheric surroundings of Nenagh Castle, poet and harpist Emily Cullen, and musician Eileen O’Brien from Newtown, Nenagh, daughter of the legendary Paddy O’Brien, played some of that music which put Irish traditional music firmly in the pantheon of European classical music.

The festival committee marked the occasion by commissioning a piece from Emily, and she and Eileen enthralled the audience with Sionnainn – A Suite, a combination of poetry and music which pays homage to the “Queen of Rivers” and appeals to this and future generations to keep it safe.