Geraldine O’Callaghan on The Murphys of Lisheen at Scartaglin Event

Matt Cranitch is on the Handed Down guest list for Scartaglin on Saturday night. ©Photograph: John Reidy

At Peter O’s Bar Gneeveguila. Denis Murphy (left) and Mickeen Daly photo courtesy of New York resident, Kathleen Fitzgerald who is a niece of the late Denis Murphy.

Handed Down organiser, PJ Teahan pictured during a recent filmed session at Sheila Prendiville’s Bar & Grocery with fellow musicians, Mick Culloty (left) and Tom O’Connell. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Members of the Millstreet based ‘Strings Fiddle Group’ will play in Scartaglin on Saturday night.

Emer Twomey will appear at the Handed Down lecture in Scartaglin on Saturday night.

Geraldine O’Callaghan will deliver a lecture on ‘The Murphys of Lisheen’ in the Handed Down series at Scartaglin Heritage Centre on this Saturday night at 8pm.

Tim Browne from Kanturk is on the guest list for Scart on Saturday night.

An undated but wonderful photo of Julia Clifford and her sister Bridgie Kelleher in Knocknagree by Jill Freedman.

The third tranche of enlightenment from the Handed Down bank of culture and tradition will be delivered at the Scartaglin Heritage Centre on this Saturday night at 8pm.

The latest in the series of lectures, music and slideshows will be conducted by a modern-day musical marvel, Geraldine O’Callaghan from Freemount. Ms. O’Callaghan, who is better known in these parts as a fiddle player, is also a classically trained pianist and has travelled the world over through her music.

She will be accompanied by fellow North Cork musicians the likes of:  Tim Browne, Kanturk; Emer Twomey and the Millstreet based Strings Fiddle group and singer, Joe Creedon from Macroom and Matt Cranitch from Cork City. 

The Murphys of Lisheen will be the topic of the third in the series and Ms. O’Callaghan follows in the footsteps of: Paudie O’Connor and Nicky McAuliffe – who conducted the first and second in the run.

The early years of the story of the Murphy family of Lisheen reads typically Irish, heart-breakingly Kerry. They were a music loving family from the heart of Sliabh Luachra.  Though scattered by the hopelessness of unemployment and depravation at home and driven on several winds over oceans of hope and promise they eventually made their mark.

However, their story is anything but typically Irish.

They made an outstanding contribution to the cultural life of their own place. They made an everlasting impression on the music of Sliabh Luachra.

There have been radio and television programmes made about them and the recording they made in the course of an afternoon in Dublin is a much celebrated icon of the music of our own place.

The Star Above the Garter was celebrated like never before in Scartaglin on May 17th last.  Then, 40 fiddle players sardined themselves into the kitchen of Lyons Bar just to be there to mark the honouring of the 45th anniversary of the making of the LP.

Nickey McAuliffe led the occasion and had a surprise: he and organiser, PJ Teahan and along with the host, Ned Vaughan produced the fiddle that Patrick O’Keeffe used to play in the bar all those years ago. It was also the fiddle he was holding when the late Liam Clancy took that historic photograph of him in that very same room in 1955.

Geraldine O’Callaghan will take the story of the Murphys from the top in Scart on Saturday night. Doors open at 7.15pm and the music will start at 8pm pin sharp. Admission: Adults €6; OAP: €5 and Children €3.