Toner Quinn is Editor of the Journal of Music. His new book, What Ireland Can Teach the World About Music, is available here.
Toner Quinn
The Minister for Arts has lost her seat in the General Election, but she leaves a formidable legacy, writes Toner Quinn.
What does the recent trajectory of the arts in Ireland – from Arts Council funding increases to the Basic Income pilot – mean for musicians? How can we further strengthen music across Ireland? And what do these developments mean for the tradition of the Irish harp? This is an edited version of the Harp Ireland/Cruit Éireann Annual Lecture, given by Toner Quinn on 17 November 2024 at the Royal Irish Academy of Music.
Despite funding increases, pressing questions remain about the state of arts funding and support, writes Toner Quinn.
In 2011, a treasure trove of music and arts photos from the 1980s and 90s was rescued from a skip outside the offices of the Sunday Tribune newspaper in Dublin. Among the thousands of images were those documenting Ireland’s classical, jazz, pop, rock, theatre, dance and opera scenes. In this selection of 24 photos, we offer a glimpse into the musical life of Ireland during those decades.
The Arts Council has secured an unprecedented €140m in the government’s 2025 budget, but where will it be spent, asks Toner Quinn.
A recording of a public interview with fiddle player Martin Hayes, conducted by Journal of Music editor Toner Quinn at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2024.
Remembering the great traditional musician and composer who passed away on 8 June.
Does Ireland have its own way of thinking about music? How might this perspective have developed? And could it explain the current dynamism in Irish musical life? In this essay, the edited text of a talk given at Farmleigh House on 11 May, Journal of Music Editor Toner Quinn explores these questions and more.
The protest by ten Irish bands at SXSW in Austin, Texas, was about the crisis in Palestine, but it is also about more than that, writes Toner Quinn.
Appointing a board member to RTÉ who has musical expertise is crucial to try and safeguard the Irish music scene, writes Toner Quinn.
The five letters, written between 1906 and 1914, provide an insight into O'Neill's perspective during his seminal publishing and collecting work.
TG4 recently broadcast a new documentary marking 70 years of the Irish language and cultural organisation Gael Linn. Toner Quinn reviews.
Tributes to the late Shane MacGowan emphasise his songwriting, but his vision for Irish music was much broader than that, writes Toner Quinn.
RTÉ has just published its document 'A New Direction for RTÉ', but where is the renewed vision for music, asks Toner Quinn.
The great Sinéad O'Connor has left Ireland with a lot to think about with regard to how we deal with dissent, writes Toner Quinn.
RTÉ is immersed in a crisis that has long-term implications for the broadcaster, but what will the consequences be for music, asks Toner Quinn.
TG4 recently broadcast 'Bláth na hÓige', a seven-part series focusing on the emerging generation of sean-nós singers, and the music has just been released on the Gael Linn label. Toner Quinn reviews.
A tribute to the Irish fiddle player Seán Keane who died on 7 May.
A lot has been achieved in Irish traditional music over the past several decades, but what happens next? What are the challenges for this music, and how can the traditional music community work together to create an even better future? Below is the edited text of a talk given by Toner Quinn, Editor of the Journal of Music, on 24 November 2022 as part of Na Píobairí Uilleann’s 'Notes & Narratives' lecture series.
The sponsorship by Flogas of the Galway International Arts Festival raises a number of questions about what is appropriate sponsorship for the arts, writes Toner Quinn.
Music for Galway recently presented the world premiere of Gerald Barry's 'Cello Concerto' and the Irish premiere of Julia Wolfe's 'Wind in My Hair'. Toner Quinn reviews.
RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta celebrates 50 years this month, but however great its achievements and its positive impact on traditional music and song, Irish-language media cannot stand still, writes Toner Quinn.
RTÉ recently broadcast a new documentary on the Irish folk revival, titled 'The Flourishing'. Toner Quinn reviews.
The latest restrictions on live music events leave many unanswered questions, writes Toner Quinn.
The new Beatles documentary 'Get Back' gives an incredible insight into the band's creative process, and provides an important lesson for our society today, writes Toner Quinn.
The fiddle-player Martin Hayes has recently published a memoir of his life in music, 'Shared Notes: A Musical Journey'. Toner Quinn reviews.
On 25 September, the National Concert Hall, the Arts Council and RTÉ presented two tribute concerts to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Seán Ó Riada's death. Toner Quinn reviews.
The new report on the night-time economy has 36 recommendations, but it has an unfortunate blindspot, writes Toner Quinn.
The return of live music to the Lime Tree Theatre in Limerick featured Iarla Ó Lionáird, Úna Monaghan and Kevin Murphy on a Music Network tour. Toner Quinn reviews.
Unless music is coated in nationalistic terms it will struggle, writes Toner Quinn.
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