A holding page for the forthcoming blog on the recordings of Sidney Robertson Cowell from the Aran Islands, 1953.

Fourth Generation Uilleann Piper  and Pipemaker

In September 2015 fiddle player and author Caoimhín Mac Aoidh donated a collection of copies of Pádraig O'Keeffe manuscripts to ITMA. In the following blog Caoimhín outlines the origins of this collection as ITMA 

To mark World Fiddle Day 2021 ITMA is delighted to make available more than 500 interactive scores and contemporary transcriptions of tunes originating from Pádaig O'Keeffe manuscripts donated to ITMA by Caoimhín Mac Aoidh in 2015. To mark the dissemination of this wonderful collection ITMA has invited fiddle player Andrea Palandri to share here some of his favourite tunes from these, and other Pádraig O'Keeffe manuscripts in the ITMA collection.

Each year ITMA offers interns from different disciplines an opportunity to gain experience in their particular area of interest or career development. Mentored by ITMA staff, interns are encouraged to contribute to specific projects, and leave their mark on the archiving of Irish traditional music.  Today we meet Céline Jourdan who tells us a little about herself and her experience working in ITMA.

Darren Loughran is a guitarist and is studying for an MA in Musiclogy and Performance in Maynooth University.  He has researched and presented this blog as part of his coursework.

To mark the anniversary of the death of the virtuoso piper, Liam O'Flynn (1945–2018), piper and artist, Barry Kerr, reflects on the time he spent as recipient of the Arts Council of Ireland/National Concert Hall Liam O'Flynn Award in 2020. That time included investigating the Liam O’Flynn collection at ITMA wherein he found much inspiration.

Michael Coleman (1891-1945) is regarded by many as the most influential Irish traditional musician of the 20thcentury. In New York in 1921, Coleman produced the first of over 40 commercial 78rpm discs encompassing over 80 tracks of fiddle playing which have left an indelible mark on Irish traditional music. One hundred years after his first recording, Coleman’s influence on the tradition, in both a direct and an indirect way, can still be heard. 

Leading instrumentalists, singers and dancers have been commissioned to spend time engaging with collections of their choice in ITMA and to then produce something new that can be shared with the public.

A monthly series showcasing compositions of tunes by contemporary composers in the traditional idiom.

Last September 2020, Duala: a film by Jack Talty and Maurice Gunning, commissioned by ITMA/Clare Arts Office premiered online and in Glór, Ennis. We thought it would be interesting to go behind-the-scenes with the film makers to find out how it all came about. 

ITMA archivist, Maeve Gebruers, reports on ITMA's Heritage Council Project, Boscaí Ceoil.