Music Festival in Dromore to Celebrate Champion Lilter

The life and musical heritage of champion lilter, the late Mickey McCann, will be commemorated at the second annual Mickey Mc Cann Mouth Music Festival taking place in Dromore, Co. Tyrone from Friday 19 July to Sunday 21 July 2019.

The festival, organised and funded by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council in association with the Dromore branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann opens on Friday 19 July at 7:30pm in the Central Bar, Dromore with a talk by Alan Woods, a singer and music researcher from Leitrim who works for the Irish Traditional Music Archive. Alan’s talk will give an introduction to the subject of mouth music in Ireland.

The talk will be followed by a demonstration of the art of lilting from guest performers accompanied by sean-nós dancers. Events in the Central Bar will be brought to a close with an informal session of music, song and dance.

A one-day Irish course will take place in St John’s College, Dromore from 10:00 am until 3:30 pm on Saturday 20 July for learners of all abilities, from beginner through to advanced level.

A lilting workshop facilitated by Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, a young singer and lilter from Dublin, will also take place in St John’s College on Saturday between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm while sean-nós dancing champion Jonathan Mc Cloy will facilitate a workshop at the same time in St John’s.

A new event in this year’s festival will take place at 4:00 pm on Saturday 20 July in the Central Bar where contestants can enter a lilting competition. There will be categories in the competition for both under and over 18s with prize money available for those placed first and second in each competition.

O’Connor’s Bar, Dromore is the venue for the Saturday night session commencing at 9:00 pm. The festival will be brought to a close on Sunday evening with a music session and dancing in the Central Bar from 8:00 pm.

For further information on the Mickey McCann Mouth Music Festival or to book a place on any of the workshops or the Irish Language course, please contact Kevin Goodwin, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s Irish Language Officer by emailing kevin.goodwin@fermanaghomagh.com or by telephoning on 0300 303 1777 (all calls charged at local rate), text phone 028 8225 6216.

Féile Cheoil ar An Droim Mór le Comorradh a Dhéanamh ar Phortaire Béil

Beidh comorradh a dhéanamh ar an phortaire béil iomráiteach Mickey Mc Cann (a bhásaigh sa bhliain 1972) ag Féile Cheoil A’ Bhéil a bheas ar siúl ar An Droim Mór, Co Thír Eoghain idir an Aoine 19 Iúil agus an Domhnach 21 Iúil 2019. B’as an Droim Mór do Mickey é féin agus is é craobh an pharóiste sin de Chomhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann i gcomhpháirtíocht le Comhairle Fhear Manach agus na hÓmaí atá ag reáchtáil na féile seo don dara bliain i ndiaidh a chéile.

Osclóidh an fhéile oíche Dé hAoine 19 Iúil ar 7:30 sa Central Bar le léacht ar an phortaireacht béil in Éirinn a thabharfas Alan Woods, ceoltóir agus taighdeoir ó Chontae Liatroma, a oibríonn le Cartlann Cheoil Thraidisiúnta na hÉireann.

Beidh portaireacht béil le cloisteáil ó aoíanna portaireachta ina dhiaidh sin arís le haoíanna damhsa ar a’ tsean-nós ag déanamh steipeanna lena gcuid ceoil. Leanfaidh an ceol agus an damhsa ar aghaidh sa Central Bar ag seisiún oscailte a bheas ar siúl sa tabháirne sin ar 10:00 pm.

Dé Sathairn 20 Iúil beidh cúrsa Gaeilge aon lae ar siúl i mBunscoil Naomh Damhnait d’fhoghlaimeoirí ag bunleibhéal, meánleibhéal agus ardleibhéal ó 10:00 am – 3:30 pm le sos lón ó 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm.

Maidin Dé Sathairn beidh ceardlann portaireachta a éascú ag Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, amhránaí agus portaire ó Bhaile Átha Cliath, agus ag Anne Martin amhránaí agus portaire béil ó Albain ó 10:00 am – 1:00 pm i gColáiste Eoin. Ag an am céanna beidh an sárdhamhsóir óg Jonathan Mc Cloy ó Chontae Dhoire ag teagasc stéipeanna ar an tsean-nós san áit chéanna.

Imeacht nua san fhéile seo ná comórtas sa phortaireacht do dhaoine faoi agus os cionn ocht mbliana déag d’aois. Beidh duaiseann airgid le buachaint sa chomórtas seo do dhaoine a thagann sa chéad agus sa dara áit. Sa Central Bar ar 4:00 pm a bheas an comórtas ar siúl.

Beidh seisiún ceoil ar siúl i dtabháirne O’ Connor oíche Dé Sathairn ar a 9:00 agus tabharfar an fhéile chun críche Dé Domhnaigh le ceol agus damhsa sa Central Bar ó 8:00 pm ar aghaidh. Tuilleadh eolais faoi imeachtaí na féile le fáil ach dul I dteagmháil le Caoimhín Goodwin ar r-phost ag kevin.goodwin@fermanaghomagh.com nó glaoch a chur ar 0300303 1777 / 077 478 99249.