This is the third program in our series, ‘Let’s keep playing together’. Meon Eile met six Irish musicians and singers at Áras Mhic Reachtain in Belfast and we spoke to them about their lives as a musician and the ways in which the intense lockout affected them.
During this crisis, people have little opportunity to play together or listen to live music so Áras Mhic Reachtain and Meon Eile decided to give the audience a taste until we can do it again.
Today we will be speaking to Irial Ó Ceallaigh, a man who won the 2018 Oireachtas in the ‘Sean-nós na bhFear’ section. Irial talks to us about the inspiration he received from his family growing up to focus on sean-nós singing. It discusses the different styles in the tradition and gives us an elegant example.
In the video below, Daithí Mac Uait, events manager for Áras Mhic Reachtain, introduces the series. He was the one who invited the musicians to perform and, with the help of the Arts Council, they also had the opportunity to raise extra money during the pandemic.