'The Golden Era of Ceili Music and Dance, 1955–1970' is the title of a large and unique oral-history audio project which was carried out by musician Brian Lawler, with the technical assistance of the Irish Traditional Music Archive.
Brian Lawler is founder of the Ardellis Ceili Band of Dublin, which was one of the most popular ceili bands in Ireland in its time. It took part in many national radio broadcasts and made several long-playing records. Brian was himself actively involved on the road with the band. In the late 1990s, believing that the ceili-band era had not been properly documented but that it was still possible to interview in depth those who had participated in it, he undertook an oral-history project of collection and preservation. The objective was to archive the special memories of the period and make them available for present and future generations.
Over the years 1999 to 2004, Brian Lawler voluntarily interviewed and recorded on DAT tape a cross-section of some 70 individuals who had been involved in ceili bands throughout Ireland. Included are band founders and members, promoters, singers, dancers, and radio personnel. As a practicing musician, he had personal memories of and insights into this unique period of Irish social history. That he had earlier met most of his interviewees and was remembered by them were major factors in winning their cooperation and support. A total of 42 hours of recordings were obtained and are presented here as some 300 audio tracks on over 60 playlists from the ITMA collections.
'The Golden Era of Ceili Music and Dance, 1955–1970' project has been the subject of many personal presentations by Brian Lawler in academic and other institutions and on radio.
With thanks to Brian Lawler for collection and preservation, and for depositing the original recordings in ITMA; to Glenn Cumiskey, ITMA Sound Engineer, 1993–2003, who recorded many of these interviews; and to the 70 interviewees who willingly shared their memories of the period.
NC, PH & TH, 1 April 2015
