Today's an important day. It's the 25th birthday of Taisce Cheol Dúchais Éireann, the Irish Traditional Music Archive.

What an amazing resource for the world of music, and a real standard-setter!

Nicholas Carolan, Director of ITMA, deserves a huge round of applause and thanks from all of us in the traditional music world, and indeed from the many thousands of others around the world who have benefitted from ITMA's work in its first quarter century.

And it has all been made possible by funding from An Chomhairle Ealaíon/The Arts Council, The Arts Council of Northern Ireland and many others.

Just as important as funding has been the support of musicians, festivals, collectors, libraries, broadcasters, journalists, archives and countless other individuals, groups and organisations.

Over the last 25 years many people have served voluntarily on the Board of ITMA, its governing body, and this has strengthened the bond between this organisation and the people and the music that it serves. Hats off to them all!

I've been very fortunate and honoured to have been involved in ITMA from day one (and a wee bit before that!) and am delighted to sit on the Board as Chairman during this important milestone year. I know that I speak for my predecessors - the late Tom Munnelly, Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin and Cathal Goan - when I raise a toast to Nicholas and all the team at ITMA, to the many former Board members, to all the donors, contributors and supporters and above all to the musicians. After all, it's all about them!