While it’s highly unlikely that any of the great, departed Sliabh Luachra musicians will ever be forgotten, PJ Teahan’s innovative Handed Down series takes no chances on that score.
Highly original in presentation but fiercely traditional in content and delivery, the second in the series will be launched in the Scartaglin Heritage Centre on this Saturday night, October 10th at 8pm.
This, the first in a monthly run from here to next May, will be presented by Paudie O’Connor and will concentrate on the visits to the Sliabh Luachra area by collectors from the Irish Folklore Commission to RTÉ between 1946 to 1990.
The music will be provided by Paudie O’Connor and Aoife Ní Chaoimh with Orlaith and Brogan McAuliffe, Eoin Stan O’Sullivan and Scully’s Music School and songs in the Cúl Aodha style with Nell Ni Chróinín from North Cork.
In the course of a lecture he gave in Scart during the Patrick O’Keeffe Traditional Music Festivan in 2000, Ciarán Mac Mathúna painted a vivid picture of the lengths the collectors of his time had to go to in the early days of the outside broadcast unit. Thousands of feet of cables running down the streets away from the house or public house where the sessions were held. The cables ran to a lorry with a huge battery charging constantly to feed the recorders. The lorry, of course, had to be kept at a distance from the session so that it wouldn’t interfere with the recording sound.
Handed Down II has an interesting and varied programme to come on a monthly basis as a follow up to Saturday night and it reads as follows:
Saturday, November 21st at 8pm.
Under The Influence. Introduced by Graham Guerin. Invited musicians choose from the recordings which influenced them and play a selection from these.
You’ll see and hear: Derek Hickey and Liam Flanagan talking about and playing tunes from Kerry Fiddles 1952. Geraldine O Callaghan on: Seamus Creagh and Aidan Coffey from 1999; Aidan Coffey on In Knocknagee. Noel Hill and Tony McMahon. Maura O’Connor and Conor Daly on: Jackie Daly and Seamus Creagh. Songs with Joe Creedon.
Saturday, December 12th.
Jazzin With Mag Leary – On The Road with Maurice O’Keeffe presented by Maire O Keeffe, Music with: Maire O Keeffe and Paddy Jones, Emma O’Leary and John Carroll
John Coakley and Kate Lyons, Niamh McSweeney and Friends, Songs With. Patrick O’Sullivan.
Saturday, Jananuary 23rd:
Jackie Daly from Kanturk to be presented by Matt Cranitch. Lineup to be finalised. Songs from Tim Brown.
Saturday, February at 8pm.
Jimmy Doyle from Sliabh Luachra presented by Bryan O’Leary.
Music with: Jimmy Doyle, Connie O’Connell, Eibhlin De Paor, Joe O’Sullivan, Con Moynihan, Denis O’Connor, Vinny and Suzanne Cronin, Students from Killarney School Of Music; Songs with Jimmy O Brien – ( tbc)
Saturday, March 19 at 8pm.
Under The Influence II introduced by Tomas MacUillegead
Invited musicians choose a recording from Sliabh Luachra that influenced them and play a selection from these.
Music with: Aidan Connolly and Andrea Palandr. Patrick O’Keeffe and Denis Murphy from a private tape recording from 1961.
Oisin Morrison and Eibhlis O’Sullivan on Julia Clifford’s Set from Cork Folk Fest from 1987.
Mikey Gorman and Michael O’Connor on The Star Above The Garter from1969.
Darragh, Suzanne and Gearoid Curtin on The Hill Of Rooska from 2014.
Jack Roche presents students from Bruach Na Charraige, Rockchapel and songs with Micheál Ó Sé.
Saturday, April 16th at 8pm.
The Road To Glountane – compositions of Terry ‘Cuz’ Teahan presented by Nicky McAuliffe. Music with Nicky and Anne McAuliffe and Michelle O Sullivan – (tbc) and Mick Culloty and Friends; Raymond O’Sullivan and Timmy O’Connor and students of Nicky and Anne McAuliffe; songs with Nollaig Ui Laoire.
Saturday, May 21st
World Fiddle Day Scartaglin Concert – details will be finalised nearer to the date. My Visits to Sliabh Luachra since 1990 by Peter Browne, RTÉ.
You can keep up to date with all the Handed Down goings on with a click here:
