Harps for Heritage

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Harps for Heritage 

18th August 2024

Muckross House, Garden & Traditional Farms, Co. Kerry. 

Cruit Éireann | Harp Ireland is delighted to announce Harps for Heritage at Muckross House, Garden & Traditional Farms, Co. Kerry on Sunday 18th August 2024 as part of Heritage Week 2024. In this immersive interactive harping experience, our audience will have an opportunity to experience and engage with various facets of harping and other traditional music practices as well as hearing how musicians engage and interact with one another in the development of their performance repertoire. Harps for Heritage will feature a variety of harp events; a Hands on Harps taster session, a Taking the Tune facilitated discussion and Harps for Heritage concert featuring Tara Viscardi, Robert Harvey, Grace Foley, Ceoltóirí na Ríochta, Lauren Ní Néill and Eugene McKenna. 

Join us for a great day of harping and heritage! Tickets available here. 

Hands on Harps with Tara Viscardi & Lauren Ní Néill, Deirdre Ní Ghrainbhéil

12.30-1.30pm

In a fun and interactive harp workshop, our harpers will share the story of the harp; its history in ancient Ireland, what it’s made from and its importance as our national symbol. Suitable for all members of the family - you only need to bring yourself and you might even get to try out the harp!

Taking the Tune with Tara Viscardi, Robert Harvey, Ceoltóirí na Ríoga, Lauren Ní Néill and Eugene McKenna

2-3pm

Have you ever wondered how musicians take a familiar tune and make it their own? In this informative, interactive session, harpers, dancers and other traditional musicians will gather to describe their practice, how the tradition has passed from generation to generation, and how each person ‘takes the tune’ to shape and make it their own. This will be a facilitated session, where you’ll get to engage with the musicians and find out what makes them (and their tunes) tick! 

Harps for Heritage Concert featuring Tara Viscardi, Robert Harvey, Grace Foley, Ceoltóirí na Ríochta, Lauren Ní Néill and Eugene McKenna

3.30-5.00pm

Join some of Ireland’s finest musical talent for a showcase of diverse styles of harping, singing, portaireacht, whistling, dancing, fiddle and concertina playing. 

Against the backdrop of historic Muckross House, a focal point of Killarney National Park, you’ll hear traditional tunes given new life by musicians from across the island. 

A multiple prize winner, harpist Tara Viscardi has performed and recorded at venues including Wigmore Hall, Abbey Road Studios, the National Concert Hall Dublin, St John's Smith Square London, Áras an Uachtaráin, the Mansion House and the Embassy of Ireland UK. Seven times All-Ireland Champion, flautist Robert Harvey released his critically acclaimed solo flute album Feochán in 2020. He has toured internationally with Dónal Lunny’s band Cíorras, the Traditional Arts Collective, The Katerina Garcia Band and The National Folk Orchestra of Ireland. The pair’s recently released Beara  pairs original compositions inspired by the Beara Peninsula in the South West of Ireland, with tunes collected and written on the peninsula since the 18th century. It also draws inspiration from Princess Beara, the Spanish Princess who it is said married Owen Mór, King of Ireland, around 120 AD and who gave the area its name. 

Lauren O’Neill is a sought-after traditional harper, teacher and researcher from Glenullin, Co. Derry. Along with TV and radio appearances such as Seth Lakeman’s 2020 Folk Map of the British Isles and the TG4/BBC Alba series Sruth (2021), Lauren has been invited as a performer and teacher to festivals throughout Ireland, Europe and North America, such as: IMBOLC, Music Generation’s annual Harp and Piping Tionól and Celtic Colours. Lauren has toured in Europe as a member of the Irish harp orchestra and in 2019 performed Seán Doherty’s commissioned works with Benyounes String Quartet, as well as Michael Rooney’s Famine Suite. 

From Augher, Co. Tyrone, Eugene McKenna is a traditional fiddle player who has performed throughout the world in the likes of China, Canada, France, Germany and the UK. As both a soloist and fiddle player with the award-winning Blackwater Céilí Band, he has had numerous TV and radio performances on BBC NI, RTÉ 1 and TG4. Eugene has featured as a performing artist at events such as Celtic Colours (Cape Breton), IMBOLC International Festival and at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.

Ceoltóirí na Ríochta are made up of Proinnsias Ó Cathasaigh, Alannah Kissane Casey, Máirtín Ó Cathasaigh and Tríona Ní Shúilleabháin. They are award winning musicians, singers and dancers who have travelled around Ireland and the world. They play a range of different instruments which range from fiddle, concertina, guitar, tin whistle, flute and harp to name just a few.