Foxford Traditional Weekend
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Details for the 2020 Festival will be updated shortly.

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Harpist and Composer Michael Rooney
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Cein Sweeney, John McCartin & Dylan Carlos 

Legends of Irish Music have been confirmed for this years Foxford Traditional Weekend taking place from the 17th - 20th October.​​

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Seamus Begley & Jim Murray

Foxford Traditional Weekend 17th-20th October

 ​Foxford will play host to the fifth annual Foxford Traditional Weekend from the 17th to 20th of October. It promises to be a great weekend of music, song and dance featuring the who's who of traditional music from all over Ireland.

Thursday 17th
The festival will kick off in style with the Rambling House which takes place in the Hideout at 8pm. This will be an evening of music, dance, song and stories hosted by our ramblers!

Friday 18th Headline Concert with Seamus Begley & Jim Murray and Dylan Carlos, Cein Sweeney and John McCartin

Seamus Begley and Jim Murray will bring their inimitable style of music and song to Foxford at our Friday night concert. Seamus is from the famous Begley family from the west Kerry Gaeltacht. He has performed all over the world with Jim Murray, Teada, Steve Cooney, Mary Black to name but a few.
Jim, from Macroom in west Cork has established himself as one of Ireland's most formidable guitarists. His style draws from a wide range of styles which combine to create a very exciting approach to guitar accompaniment. He has travelled the globe with Sharon Shannon, Altan, Donal Lunny, Mike McGoldrick and Steve Earle.
Together their music has been described as "Free wheeling, free spirited and powered by an appetite for traditional music's outer reaches” Irish Times.

Also on the night we are delighted to have the exciting trio of Dylan Carlos (current senior All Ireland fiddle Champion), Cein Sweeney and John McCartin. Coming from Roscommon, Cavan and Leitrim this trio of fiddle, flute and guitar create a sound which is direct, exciting and highly entertaining. Their recent album has received rave reviews both nationally and internationally being described as “...energetic and rambunctious, unbridled and unapologetic.”
Full details on Events

Saturday 19th
Workshops will take place all day on Saturday in the Foxford National School. Workshops will be offered in a wide array of instruments along with singing workshops. This year we have a fiddle master class with Dylan Carlos and a lilting workshop with Siobhan O'Donnell. We are also delighted to announce that Michael Rooney will give a harp master class. Michael is recognised as one of the most influential and innovative stylists on the harp, his virtuosic technique as well as his approach to rhythm and harmony have helped to reposition it as a popular and integral part of the living tradition.
The master classes will have limited capacity so be sure to book in time for this prestigious opportunity.
Workshops in Tin-Whistle, Accordion, Concertina, Flute, Fiddle, Banjo/Mandolin, Singing, Lilting, Guitar Accompaniment, Bodhrán & Piano Accompaniment
Master Classes in Harp, Fiddle and Mixed Instrument

Workshops & Master Class Details

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Lá na Cruite / National Harp Day also takes place on Saturday 19th of October.  At 2pm in the Foxford Woollen Mills, a free 'Hands on Harp' workshop will take place with renowned harpist, Laoise Kelly.  Everyone is invited to come along to listen or have a go!  The Music Generation Mayo Harp Ensemble will feature at the Féile Concert on Saturday night.
Organised in conjunction with Cruit Éireann, Harp Ireland
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The Teen Trad event will take place later that evening at 5pm in Cruisers. This is a showcase of all the young talent from near and far. This will be followed by a teen session.

Féile Concert
The Féile Concert will feature performances from Michael Rooney and June McCormack. Together the couple have recorded two cds, 'Draíocht' and 'Land's End'.  June is an All Ireland champion on the flute and has published two tutorial books on flute playing.
Carl Hession, Francis Cunningham & Eimear Coughlan will launch their beautiful new cd Úrnua and Mayo Music Generation Harp Ensemble will give a performance.
The night will also feature performances from tutors and visiting musicians, singers and dancers.

​Sunday 20th
There will be music and singing workshops between 12pm and 1.30pm.
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At 3pm there will be a junior session in Cruisers led by Tom Doherty.
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Throughout the weekend there will be a session trail featuring some of Ireland's best musicians singers and dancers. A full list of visiting musicians will be available shortly. Please check our Facebook page and website for more details.

With Concerts, Workshops, Master Classes, Session Trail, Teen Trad, Rambling House, Junior Sessions, Set-Dancing, Sean-nós Dancing, and lots, lots more, tune up your instruments, polish your shoes…or just come along and soak up the atmosphere.
Follow Foxford Traditional Weekend on facebook for more updates.​
​Full details of events on tel. 086 3999774 / Email  foxfordtraditionalweekend@gmail.com

Úrnua - CD Launch

Launch will take part during the Féile Concert on Saturday 19th October at 8pm in Foxford Secondary School.
Úrnua (Carl Hession, Francis Cunningham & Eimear Coughlan)
 
“The bloom of youth and the experienced master making music across the generations”
Kevin Crawford.
 
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Carl Hession is one of Ireland’s most revered piano players, prolific composers and sought after musical arrangers. His work demonstrates diversity from traditional to classical and jazz to modern. Although he is highly regarded as a pianist in all the different facets, it is his compositions and arrangements that signify his expertise. He has arranged music for established orchestras throughout the world from the Boston Pops to the Liverpool Philharmonic and also the Dubai Symphony. This project harks back to his roots composing reels, jigs, slip jigs, polkas and semi-classical compositions.
Francis Cunningham and Eimear Coughlan are two of the finest exponents of concertina and harp with a strong emphasis on the Clare tradition in which they are steeped. Playing together since the age of 15, they are stylistically and instrumentally befitting of such a project. Together this dynamic trio from both Galway and Clare are showcasing and imparting the music of Carl Hession with revere and class.

Special Weekend Guests - The Browne Family, Clare

We are delighted to have the seriously talented Brown Family from Cree in Co Clare with us as 'Special Family Guests'.  
​Colm, Séan and Liam have won numerous All-Ireland titles between them.  They will perform at the Féile Concert on Saturday 19th October in Foxford Secondary School and also at the Teen Trad event on Saturday evening at 5pm in Cruiser's, Foxford. 
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​Foxford Traditional Weekend
  • Home
  • Seán Keane Concert
  • Events
  • Workshops
  • Session Trail
  • Accomodation
  • Local Area
  • Contact