The Prophecy of Ciarán MacMathúna’s Observations Coming True

Preparing for a Saturday morning session at Castleisland Community Museum during the Patrick O’Keeffe Traditional Music Festival were from left: Sharon Holey, Therese McInerney, Marian Curtin and Ruth Lindsay. ©Photograph: John Reidy

At the Teen Traditional Music Session at Presentation Castleisland were Anne and Nicky McAuliffe, Bryan O’Leary, Aidan Connolly, recently appointed Sliabh Luachra musician in residence and Ailísh Walsh O’Connor originator of the session three years ago. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Meeting and remembering old friends is an occupational hazzard at this time of the year and what can a man do only lift a glass or to life and what we make of it. Danny O’Mahony, John Reidy and MacDara Ó Reaghalaigh. Photograph by Micheál Ó Reaghalaigh.

Relaxing after a day’s music at the River Island Hotel on Sunday night were: Peter Browne, Deirdre O’Brien, Miltown Malbay; Lily O’Connor, Ennis, Ciarán Browne, Dublin and Jackie Daly, Kanturk and Miltown Malbay. ©Photograph: John Reidy

And something completely different. A puppet show which delighted children of every age on Sunday afternoon at Castleisland Community Museum on Main Street.

Remembering old friends on Sunday night at the River Island Hotel Danny O’Mahony delved into his phone and came up with this image of the late great John O’Looney from Miltown Malbay at the 2021 festival and his final trip to Castleisland. John died on the eve of the 2022 festival and his second anniversary fell on Saturday. He is pictured here with MacDara Ó Reaghalaigh, Danny O’Mahony and Micheál Ó Reaghalaigh.

The state of Irish Traditional Music and the music of the Sliabh Luachra region in particular was never in better health.

Speaking at the opening notes of the 2024 Patrick O’Keeffe Traditional Music Festival in St. John’s Hall in Presentation Castleisland Secondary School, Deputy Principal Pádraig Kelleher thanked Ann and Nicky McAuliffe along with Con Moynihan and many more for how we find the music today.

He also complimented his teaching colleague Ailish Walsh for her initiative in organising the annual ‘Schools Traditional Session’ at The Pres.

Mary in the Wood and The Scart Polka

Then the school band let fly with ‘Mary in the Wood’ and ‘The Scart Polka’ to be joined by several other schools from around the county and beyond – and from as far away as Dingle.

It was a great morning to be alive.

On my way home, areas of the footpaths were strewn with golden leaves. A young man sitting on the seat by Delia’s Pottery Shop responded to a text, which obviously flipped a switch, and his face lit up at what he was reading. It was a great day to be alive.

I was thinking from early observations on Thursday and Friday that the waves of really young people playing and following the music is at an unprecedented level.

From Observation to Reality

I was glad to find that my observations were shared by many other people as the weekend wore on.

Many years ago I had a late night chat with the late Mike Kenny and the late Ciarán MacMathúna. The then retired RTÉ broadcaster and music collector made a point that’s now coming to fruition.

“I won’t see it but ye will but there’s a generation of young people learning music now and they have facilities that their fathers and grandfathers never had.

More Access to Music

“Instruments are better kept and in dry conditions unlike the damp housing conditions of long ago. “The young people of today have more access than ever to the music they want to play and the musicians they want to follow and they can take the music around with them on a range of devices. “Traditional music in Ireland was never in a healthier state,” he said.

The past weekend in Castleisland certainly marked his thoughts on the state of the music at that time as something of a prophecy now.

Going on the sheer amount of personal items like bags and phones that were lost over the weekend, the committee could do with appointing a lost and found counter somewhere in town. Sin scéal eile.

You can contact The Maine Valley Post on… Anyone in The Maine Valley Post catchment area who would like to send us news and captioned photographs for inclusion can send them to: jreidy@mainevalleypost.com Queries about advertising and any other matters regarding The Maine Valley Post can also be sent to that address or just ring: 087 23 59 467.