Dublin’s Opera Theatre Company recently revived the first Irish-language opera, Robert O’Dwyer’s (1862 – 1949) Eithne, for its first performance in over a century. Although Eithne was well-received by contemporary critics for its contribution to the Gaelic revival movement and as an attempt to establish a national opera tradition, the opera has been mysteriously forgotten for over a century. 

Four sort-a-thon events have brought volunteers into ITMA since the summer. Two more events are scheduled for November.

Over the past 18 months we have been working closely with Red Dog to develop a new visual identity for ITMA. Managing Director at Red Dog, Mary Doherty, has been kind enough to put together her reflections on what has been a new and inspiring process for us here in the Irish Traditional Music Archive.

On Saturday 24 June 2017 the ITMA library was transformed into a sorting office. Eight volunteers signed up to help staff delve into the treasure trove that is the ITMA ephemera collection.

Patrick Weston Joyce was born the son of Garret Joyce, a scholarly shoemaker, and Elizabeth Dwyer in the Ballyhoura hills on the borders of south-east Limerick and north Cork. One of a Catholic family of eight children, he was reared in the nearby townland of Glenosheen, Kilmallock, Co Limerick, and educated at first in local hedge schools.