Adrian Scahill

Adrian Scahill is a lecturer in traditional music at Maynooth University.

The Power of Irish Myths and Legends to Speak to Us Today
Singer and songwriter John Spillane has just released his most ambitious album yet, a newly composed folk opera titled 'Fíoruisce' featuring Ríoghnach Connolly, Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, Niamh Farrell and Nell Ní Chróinín. Adrian Scahill reviews.
Traditional Tunes as Points of Departure
Córas Trio – Kevin McCullagh, Paddy McKeown and Conor McAuley – have just released their debut album of experimental traditional music. Adrian Scahill reviews.
The Return of the Bothy Band
TG4 has broadcast a new documentary film on the reformed 1970s group The Bothy Band including interviews and a performance in Dublin. Adrian Scahill reviews.
Marking the Loss of Traditional Music Listening Spaces
A new film on a renowned Irish traditional music pub in Dublin, 'Brendan Gleeson’s Farewell to Hughes’s', has recently been released. Adrian Scahill reviews.
In the Tradition of Terry Riley
Louth Contemporary Music Society has just released an Irish traditional music version of Terry Riley's classic 1964 minimalist work 'In C', performed by Zoë Conway, Paddy Glackin, Máirtín O’Connor, Michelle Mulcahy, Louise Mulcahy, Mick O’Brien and Dónal Lunny. Adrian Scahill reviews.
A Tribute to a Transformative Artist
The Irish Traditional Music Archive hosted a tribute to the late great fiddle player Tommy Peoples at the National Concert Hall on 28 October. Adrian Scahill reviews.
Different Strands of a Musical Identity
Fiddle player Sorcha Costello has recently released her debut solo record 'The Primrose Lass'. Adrian Scahill reviews.
Continuing the Flow and Subtlety of the Clare Fiddle Tradition
Fiddle player Tony Linnane has recently released his solo album, 'Ceol na Fidle', on Raelach Records. Adrian Scahill reviews.
Finding New Sounds in Sean-nós
The singer Síle Denvir has recently released a new sean-nós album, 'Anamnesis', produced by John Reynolds. Adrian Scahill reviews.
Seóirse Bodley at 90
The Irish composer Seóirse Bodley is 90 this month and two of his works will be performed at the New Music Dublin festival this week. Adrian Scahill looks back over his music and his innovative work in integrating Irish traditional music into his compositional voice.
The Challenge of Moving Beyond Common Ground
Martin Hayes and his new group the Common Ground Ensemble have just released their first album together, 'Peggy’s Dream'. Adrian Scahill reviews.
Finding a Distinctive Voice
Diarmuid Ó Meachair, recipient of the TG4 Gradam Ceoil Young Musician of the Year award last year, has recently released his debut album on Raelach Records. Adrian Scahill reviews.
An Exploratory Suite Inspired by Achill
The group Cuar, led by musician and composer Neil Ó Lochlainn, has recently released its second release, 'Umhaill', featuring Ultan O'Brien, Sam Comerford, Colm O'Hara and Pádraic Keane. Adrian Scahill reviews.
Between What Was and What Might Be
Singer and songwriter Paul Brady has recently published a memoir of his life in music, 'Crazy Dreams', which explores growing up in Strabane, the folk scene of the 60s and 70s, his seminal albums and songs, and recent projects. Adrian Scahill reviews.
Playing to His Strengths
Frankie Gavin's new solo album, 'Port Éireann', with Catherine McHugh on piano, contains classic traditional sets, a new composition, and a tribute to Joe Burke. Adrian Scahill reviews.
Delving Deep into the Tunes of Paddy Fahey
Galway fiddle players Liz and Yvonne Kane have recently released their fourth duet album together, 'In Memory of Paddy Fahey'. Adrian Scahill reviews.
Sean-nós on Its Own Terms
Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Ceara Conway and Inni-K have all recently released CDs that reimagine the performance of Irish sean-nós songs. Adrian Scahill reviews.
The Many Sides of Music and Song Collecting
The first book to discuss music on the Aran Islands, 'Collecting Music in the Aran Islands: A Century of History and Practice', has recently been published by Deirdre Ní Chonghaile. Adrian Scahill reviews.
Sketching the Lives of Forgotten Women Pipers
TG4 recently broadcast 'Mná na bPíob', a documentary in which musician Louise Mulcahy explores the lives of female uilleann pipers from the past. Adrian Scahill reviews.
A Distant and Different World
What was the sound world of Ireland like during the fractious 1500s? A recent album by the Irish Consort directed by Siobhán Armstrong, 'Music, Ireland and the Sixteenth Century', provides us with a range of musical insights. Adrian Scahill reviews.
Exploring Loss Under Lockdown
A new short film about the passing of the great fiddle-player Ben Lennon during lockdown last year, as narrated by his brother Charlie, was premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh. Adrian Scahill reviews.
Airs for an Ocean Under Duress
Máirtín O’Connor's new climate-emergency-inspired suite of music 'The Mighty Ocean' recently aired on TG4. Adrian Scahill reviews.
Tunes from Famine Times
Mick O’Brien, Emer Mayock and Aoife Ní Bhriain have just released a second album of tunes from the James Goodman manuscripts, a collection that was made around the time of the Great Famine. Adrian Scahill reviews.
The Interplay of Light and Dark
Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin and Ultan O’Brien's new traditional and experimental album probes the soundworld between voice, fiddle and viola. Adrian Scahill reviews.
Where It All Began
Andy Irvine has recently released 'Old Dog Long Road, Volume 1', a two-disc retrospective containing live and private recordings dating from 1961 to 2012. Adrian Scahill reviews.
Tracing the Influences
Dave Munnelly's album of newly composed music, 'Aonair', has a certain interiority, writes Adrian Scahill, and avoids explicit references to Irish dance forms.
Fired in the Crucible of Dance
Raelach Records' latest release, 'Dúchas', is from Clare button accordionist Damien O’Reilly. Adrian Scahill reviews.
The Gift of Music
Yvonne Casey's second solo fiddle album 'Croí' displays a very individual and developed style, writes Adrian Scahill.
Interweaving Lines
What is the common heritage between traditional Irish tunes and Baroque dances? Adrian Scahill reviews a new recording on the RTÉ Lyric FM label.
From Broken Dream to Musical Healing
Adrian Scahill reviews 'Aisling Ghéar', a stark and unflinching new documentary on the concertina player Noel Hill.