Drogheda Traditional Music Weekend 2013

1. Friday, 29th November - Sunday, 1st December
Booking: 041 9833946 Online: www.droichead.com
This annual festival is a celebration of traditional Irish music and singing and has evolved
into one of the highlights in Drogheda’s cultural calendar year. With a strong focus on
traditional song, it blends the finest talents, young and old from near and far.

2. Friday 29th November
Outreach Workshops in association with Music Generation Louth
Various schools in the Drogheda area will take part in music workshops with Mark Redmond (Uilleann
Pipes) and Deirdre Ní Bhuachalla (Harp).
Traditional Singing and Music Concert for Primary School Children
Venue: Droichead Arts Centre, 10.30 am | Admission: €3
Primary School pupils get a taste of different styles of traditional music and singing from Drogheda,
Louth and from other areas across the island. Featuring guest singers Gerry Cullen, Stephen Mc Ardle,
Jilly Cullen and Aideen Morrissey and Mark Redmond on Uilleann Pipes.
Brendan Begley & Family in Concert
with guests Nell Ní Chróinín (vocals) and Sunday’s Gate Quartet (vocal harmony)
Venue: Droichead Arts Centre, 8.30pm | Admission: €15 / €12 conc
In memory of the late Caitlin Bean Uí Cairbre
Join us in welcoming one of the great families of traditional
music to Drogheda for a toe-tapping evening of slides, polkas,
songs and slow airs. Regarded as one of the country’s finest
box players, Brendan and the Begley Family of West Kerry are
renowned, talented musicians.
Joining them is guest sean-nós singer Nell Ni Chróinín, from the
Múscraí Gaeltacht of West Cork, commonly acknowledged as
one of the most exciting traditional singers of her generation.
Local group The Sunday’s Gate Quartet have been preforming together for the last 25 years. They draw
on a strong tradition of harmony singing in the Drogheda area and have combined this with songs from
the folk traditions of other countries. The group comprises of brothers Kevin & Paddy Branigan, Fiach
McHugh, Declan Hoey and Michael Rafferty.
Saturday 30th November
Music Workshops
Venue: Barlow House, Narrow West Street | Fee: €10 per workshop
Booking essential due to limited number of places on each workshop
Fiddle Workshop with Donal O’ Connor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1pm - 3pm
Guitar Workshop with Paul Meehan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1pm - 3pm
Flute Workshops with Martin Meehan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1pm - 3pm

3. Concert with Donal O’Connor (Fiddle), Paul
Meehan (Guitar) and Martin Meehan (Flute)
Venue: The Tholsel, West Street, 5 - 6pm | Fee: €10
A member of Dundalk’s best known musical dynasty, Donal
O’Connor is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer and
television presenter in his own right. He is also a member of ‘At
First Light’. Together with his musician friends Paul and Martin
Meehan who hail from Co. Armagh, they will perform a short
concert in the historical setting of The Tholsel.
Music Sessions | Admission Free
Session at D’vine, Dyer St. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 - 4pm
Session at Artisan Foods, Stockwell St. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 - 6pm
Session at O’ Casey’s , Trinity St. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 - 9pm
Carberry’s Pub, North Strand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.30pm
Saturday’s Day of Dance at The Barbican Centre, William Street
Sets Workshop
10am - 4pm Admission: €10
A unique workshop featuring
three Louth Sets; Cuchullain,
Boyne and Rikenstown Sets led
by Louth’s dancing treasure, John
McEvoy.
Beginners Sets
Workshop
10am - 1pm Admission: €5
A workshop introducing people
to the joys of Irish Traditional
dancing. Learn the basic steps
and one of the simpler sets at
your own pace with the help of
Tony Purcell.
Grand Ceili
with Triskell Ceili Band and special guests Brendan
Begley and Family
Venue: Barbican Centre, William St.
Admission: €10 and €30 Family
(2 Adults and 2 Children) includes Supper
This promises to be a fantastic night’s dancing. Triskell are a
well-known band from Co. Louth and are increasingly in demand
at home as well as in Europe and the U.K. The drive and energy
of their music would move anyone towards the dance floor. And
from the Begleys we can expect the fantastic Kerry polkas and
slides played by Kerry’s finest.
Two-hand Dance
Workshop
4pm - 5.30pm Admission: €5
A workshop featuring dances
from Donegal led by Donegal
native Michael McGlynn and his
wife Kathleen.

4. Sunday 1st December
Sessions
Family Session | Droichead Arts Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2pm - 4pm
Session | Salthouse Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3pm - 5pm
Singing Workshop with Kevin Branigan and Brendan Begley
Venue: Barlow House, Narrow West St. | 2pm - 3.30pm | Admission: €10
(limited space so booking in advance is recommended)
Singing Session
Venue: Droichead Arts Centre, Stockwell St. Café/Bar | 4 - 7pm | Admission: €5
Hosted by Drogheda Traditional Singers, this session has been described as a ‘spiritual experience’ by
visitors who’ve attended in the past. Unaccompanied singers will gather to share collected songs from
home and away. There will be two special guest singers: Sinead Lynch from Cavan who is a member of
the group ‘Landless’ and Michael Quinn who hails from a renowned family of storytellers, singers and
musicians from Mullaghbawn, Co. Armagh.
Final Session
Cagneys Bar, Dyer Street, Drogheda | 7pm - 9pm
Booking Information
Tickets can be purchased
In Person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Droichead Arts Centre, Stockwell Street, Drogheda
Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 041 9833946
Online (Free) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.droichead.com
Facebook . . . . . . . . . . . www.facebook.com/droghedatraditionalmusicweekend
We would like to give special thanks to our sponsors without which the festival would not be possible
this year; Create Louth, Cisco Engineering and Pat Carolan, Phelan Branigan Solicitors, Music Generation
Louth, IMRO, Coca Cola and The Mayor of Drogheda Cllr. Richard Culhane. We’d also like to thank
Droichead Arts Centre for hosting the festival.