Sounds of Kilfenora

[Peter Laban]

A little shout out for a website launched by Aoife Kelly during the Kilfenora trad fest on Friday night.

 

Sounds of Kilfenora 

 

 

documents past generations of musicians from the Kilfenora area in North Clare, including fifteen or sixteen concertina players, with biographical notes, photographs and recordings (where available) with extra material on housedances, bands etc 

Edited April 28, 2025 by Peter Laban

[niftyprose]

What a wonderful site! I particularly liked the playing of Brody Kierse, who has (to borrow terms from another musical idiom) exceptionally deep pockets. 

[Peter Laban]

There's a recording of Paddy Byrt on the site for Enda Byrt's book 'Sound you A" (which comes with a CD of old recordings from the Ennistymon area  which overlaps with Kilfenora as  musicians were  going up and down between the two)

Aoife didn't use that on her site.

 

You can find it here :Sound your A

Edited April 30, 2025 by Peter Laban

[aoiferua]

Hi all, thanks Peter for recommending my site. I've loads of other recordings yet to put up that just got digitized. 

Thanks Niftyprose, I'm glad you like it! 

 

And yes I am going to add the Paddy Byrt one from the 'Sound your A'. He told me I could use whatever I wanted. He's very good. I love his book. It's amazing. 

 

[wes williams]

Thanks for the lovely site Aoife,

Peter is very good at keeping us informed of anything happening around Clare. It's nice to see local people trying to get these things written up, because as Tony Crehan said to me about 30 years ago 'These things don't get written down until some Yank turns up and does it!'

[Peter Laban]

Last week, Aoife emailed to say she and the site would be featured on the tellie, if I was interested.

 

The programme went out last night and I hope she doesn't mind me posting a link to it here:

 

RTE Nationwide   the item starts around 12.40 (unless you want to know about Donegal cowboys, then you watch it all)

 

There's a nice bit of old footage included of Mick Crehan, JC Talty and Jimmy Ward playing for a dance. Not quite Kilfenora in my estimation, but I suppose they had to take what the RTE archive has to give.

Edited June 24, 2025 by Peter Laban

[aoiferua]

Thanks Peter! I'm very happy for you to post the link. Thanks for doing that. 

 

And yes, I had sent many clips to Nationwide that I had and they choose that clip with Jimmy Ward in it to use. I didn't have any other clips of house dances or what looked like a house dance so this is why I suspect they used it! 

[Peter Laban]

I think the clip worked well, caught the atmosphere very nicely. I just thought I recognised the room, one I have been and played in many nights. 

 

 

Edited June 25, 2025 by Peter Laban