What the Night Became

This was no ordinary concert.
It became an act of remembrance.
In the Patrick Kavanagh Centre in Inniskeen,
the Oriel Traditional Music Archive gathered its treasures
and allowed them to breathe again.

As the first notes rose, the room seemed to hush itself,
as if the walls had recognised an old friend.
There was a stillness that asked for attention,
and the music answered it quietly and honestly.

The Keepers of the Tune

I was joined by Nuala Kennedy on flute and voice,
and Eilís Lavelle on harp.
Together, we were invited to wander the shelves of memory
and return with music shaped by place and time.

We did not simply perform.
We summoned.
Each phrase felt drawn from the grain of the landscape,
carried to the ear with patience and care,
asking only that it be listened to.

What We Brought Back

Familiar names were there,
Donnellan and McGahon,
steady as landmarks in the tradition.
Alongside them were presences that time had thinned.

Mary Ann Carolan.
Séan O’Boyle.
The McArdle brothers.
Lizzie O’Brien.
Others whose traces were almost lost.

Their tunes returned fragile and luminous.
The particular cadence of Oriel moved through the hall,
like a remembered scent that cannot be named
but is instantly known.

How It Stayed

For two hours, the hall held its breath.
What had been written, stored, and quieted
took voice again.

When the final note fell away,
the air did not empty.
It lingered.
With it came the understanding that the past here
is not distant.
It is near.
This music never truly left the blood of the place.

Looking Ahead

If you would like to read about upcoming concerts and performances,
you can find future events
here.