Finest Traditional Irish Music & Irish Dancing at Kylemore Abbey Connemara

Traditional Irish Music & Irish dancing is known and admired around the world. The history of Irish traditional music is interwoven into the fabric of Irish culture, our songs, our folklore and our dance. Our Irish musical tradition draws its strength from the talented and passionate musicians who re-interpret fabulous old melodies into modern forms helping to keep Irish music a living tradition.

See the Finest Traditional Irish Music & Irish Dancing at Kylemore Abbey Connemara

On Thursday, July 16th tune into the latest installment of the enthralling ‘Courage’ series presented by Other Voices, to hear the finest Irish music played by Cormac Begley, Laoise Kelly, and Anna Mieke and to see the fantastic Irish dancer Stephanie Kelly give a live performance from the historic Kylemore Abbey in Connemara, County Galway.

You can tune in live to view the finest of Irish talent in the stunning surrounds of the neo-Gothic Church at Kylemore Abbey on RTE.ie Culture, You Tube and Facebook on Thursday, July 16th at 8:00pm GMT/3:00pm EST.

Esteemed concertina player Cormac Begley comes from a traditional music dynasty, he has played across the globe and is involved in musical projects with other lauded musicians, along with traditional Irish dancer Stephanie Keane. Also joining Cormac in Kylemore Abbey are world renowned harpist Laoise Kelly, who was named TG4 Gradam Ceoil’s Musician of the Year in 2020 and singer-songwriter Anna Mieke whose critically acclaimed debut album ‘Idle Mind’ came out in 2019. Viewers will recognize her music from the Normal People soundtrack and the last series of Other Voices where she performed in the IMRO Ireland Other Room.

This performance will take place on Thursday July 16th and will be made available worldwide, free of charge, thanks to the support of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, RTÉ and IMRO.

To get your toes tapping have a look at this video –

Before your musical tour around Ireland why not learn the lingo –

Here is a quick guide to some of musical terms used in Ireland –

Reel, jig, waltz, hornpipe, polka: Common types of traditional dance.

Squeeze box: Another name for an accordion or concertina.

The Harp: The harp is one of the oldest musical instruments in the world and also the national emblem of Ireland. It appears on the Irish Euro coins and is the logo for Guinness, considered by many to be Ireland’s national drink

Céilí: A céilí (kay-lee) is an event where people dance to traditional music, usually in pairs and groups.

Session/Seisiún: A seisiún (sesh-oon) is when a group of musicians play music together, usually in a casual setting.

Fiddle: An Irish violin.

Tin whistle: A very common, six-holed wind instrument, also simply called a whistle.

Fife: A small, high-pitched flute.

Low whistle: A larger variation of the traditional tin whistle, with a lower pitch.

Bodhrán: A bodhrán (bow-rawn) is a one-sided, handheld drum.

Uilleann pipes: Uilleann (ill-ann) pipes are powered by a set of bellows controlled by the musician’s elbow (uilleann). Uilleann piping has been inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

Sean-nos – It’s generally understood to refer to a highly ornamented style of unaccompanied traditional Irish singing, especially in Ireland’s Gaeltacht.

Sean-nós dance: This is an older style of traditional solo Irish dance. It is a casual dance form, as opposed to the more formal and competition-oriented form.

Experience Irish Music & Dancing in Ireland

Traditional Irish music embodies the spirit of the people of Ireland. The music will fill your head and your heart. The Irish music scene throughout Ireland has evolved from its main setting in the houses and pubs of rural areas to expand the globe. The premier outlet for Irish music is the live traditional sessions which gather together musicians who create a vibrant and dynamic musical experience for both visitors and natives alike.

If you have an interest in authentic traditional Irish Music and whether you play or not, we can take you to the heart of traditional Irish music and arrange traditional Irish music sessions by talented Irish musicians and Irish dancers throughout the Emerald Isle.

Contact Specialized Travel Services by email to newyork@jeremyd50.sg-host.com or complete the contact form, if you would like to plan a “reel” traditional Irish music tour and to fill your heart with Ireland.

Note: Featured image at the top of the blog is of Kylemore Abbey Co Galway Copyright: ©Big Smoke Studio for Tourism Ireland. ©Tourism Ireland