Highlights of O’Carolan Festival

The recent Nobber Harp Festival had many highlights, including a concert which included The Rosemary Caine Trio, and harpists Gráinne Hambly and William Jackson, with the full Meath Harp Orchestra as the opening act. Harpist Caine, from Ardee, has written three musicals, 'Wilde Irish Women’, 'Women in Arms’ and 'The Last High Queen of Ireland’. Their reach goes backward in time to the Pre-Christian Tain and forward to the present. Also performing over the weekend were traditional Irish accordionist Mairtin O’Connor with fiddle player Cathal Hayden, from Pomeroy, Co Tyrone, and guitarist Seamie O’Dowd, who plays with Dervish. Mairtin O’Connor played with Dé Dannan from 1983 til 1987 and the group played 'The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba’ which originally appeared on one of Dé Dannan’s albums. The three musicians have recently re-recorded the track for their 'Crossroads’ album. MC, Prof Seamus MacGabhann, said the Mairtin O’Connor band is internationally acclaimed. “Mairtin was a musical force in Riverdance and Dé Dannan. Cathal Hayden is a renowned fiddle player from Pomeroy, Tyrone and Seamie ODowd has played with Dervish.” The Meath Harp Ensemble members are Deirdre Caulfield, Grace Crilly, Katie Kerley, Jennifer Leahy, Aedin McConnell, Áine Flanagan, Ciara Taaffe, Shane Taaffe , Michael O’Neill, Cait O’Reilly and Dearbhail Finnegan, director. The ensemble played a tribute to Turlough O’Carolan with a medley of seven pieces written by him including 'O’Carolan’s Concerto’, 'Sí Beg Sí Mór’, 'Eleanor Plunkett’ and 'O’Carolan’s Welcome’. 'O’Carolan’s Farewell’ was played by Ciara Taaffe. Seamus MacGabhann praised the O’Carolan Harp, Cultural and Heritage Festival committee for its hard work and dedication in the promotion of the harp tradition. “The Meath Harp Ensemble is a prime example of the living tradition,” he said. “They produce the beauty of the music for our enjoyment. It’s a marvellous credit to Dearbhaill Finnegan and the O’Carolan Festival committee who have developed the Meath Harp Ensemble and the Meath Harp School over the years,” he said. Ann Finnegan, chairperson of the O’Carolan Festival, thanked the musicians, the audience and festival sponsors, without whom the event would not be a success. Harp and traditional music instrument competitions were held in O’Carolan College with workshops on the playing techniques of the various instruments. The Aifreann Tradisiunta was celebrated in St John the Baptist Church, Nobber, with music by musicians of the Meath Harp School harpists and fiddle players and various readers throughout the Mass. After Mass, a procession to the O’Carolan Monument was led by Rory Somers on bagpipes. Br Paul Brennan laid the wreath at the statue to O’Carolan. Harp music was played by the Tony Finnegan Memorial Award Winners for 2010, Áine Flanagan and Katie Kerley. Noel French of Trim Heritage Centre gave a talk on the 'Houses of Nobber and North Meath’. Attendees of the lecture, as well as enjoying the talk, also kept up to date with the score from Nobber’s Intermediate Football Final against Carnaross! The festival concluded with a ceilí with music by Davey Joe Fallon.