On Friday 28th of October Presentation Secondary School in Castleisland held a teen traditional music session in conjunction with the Patrick O’Keeffe Traditional Music Festival held annually in the town.
The music department of the school wanted to give its students the opportunity to experience a trad session and learn about how traditional airs and tunes can be passed from one generation to another and how peer tutoring works in Irish traditional music.
Session Participation
Being in the heart of the Sliabh Luachra area means that many students in the school play traditional music but often don’t get the opportunity to participate in sessions due to their age.
The 30th Patrick O’Keeffe festival was an ideal time for teachers Ailish O’Connor and Deirdre O’Brien to highlight the great tradition of Irish music to their students.
To give the celebration of trad music an authentic feel the teachers then decided that inviting trad groups from other schools was necessary.
Help and Ideas
“We contacted the Patrick O’Keeffe festival committee and Kerry County Council Musician in Residence Eoin Stan O’Sullivan, for help and ideas as to how we could contact other schools and get in contact with traditional players who were coming to Castleisland for the weekend.
They couldn’t have been more helpful and encouraging. We would like to thank them and our Principal, Pierce Dargan, for supporting us in this project. In total six schools participated,” said teacher Ailish O’Connor.
Annual Teen Session
Each of the second level schools in Castleisland participated, along with Mercy Mounthawk from Tralee, Presentation Secondary Killarney and Boherbue Comprehensive School.
The students were joined and lead by local traditional musicians Anne and Nicky McAuliffe and Celia Regan along with many other well-known players.
Mol an Óige..
“Hopefully this will be the first of many and there will be an annual teen session for the Patrick O’Keeffe festival every year in the future in Presentation Castleisland.
“It’s so great to see the students enjoying music and interacting with other musicians.
“As music teachers this is what it is all about for us. Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí mar a deirteann an seanfhocal,” said Ms. O’Connor.
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