Stiúideo Cuan Announces Inaugural Spring Concert Series

Tiarnán Ó Duinchinn and Laoise Kelly

Stiúideo Cuan Announces Inaugural Spring Concert Series

Upcoming concerts feature Laoise Kelly, Tiarnán Ó Duinchinn, Stephanie Makem, the Mulcahy family, Matt Molloy and John Carty, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Dermot Byrne, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Máirtín O’Connor and more.

Stiúideo Cuan, the new arts and music centre in An Spidéal, Co. Galway, has announced its inaugural spring concert series.

The series of 12 concerts begins on Friday 18 March and Saturday 19 March with two concerts by harper Laoise Kelly, uilleann piper Tiarnán Ó Duinchinn and singer Stéphanie Makem. Kelly and Ó Duinchinn have frequently performed together as a duet and released their album Ar Lorg na Laochra (On the Shoulders of Giants) in 2016. Kelly was also the 2019 TG4 Gradam Ceoil Musician of the Year. Makem from Armagh sings songs from south-east Ulster in Irish and English. She released the album Ceol is Píob with Ó Duinchinn in 2008. She is also the great-granddaughter of singer Sarah Makem, who was recently inducted into the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards Hall of Fame.

The subsequent concerts at Stiúideo Cuan will each feature artists performing for two nights. On 31 March and 1 April, the series will feature Michelle Mulcahy, Mick Mulcahy and Louise Mulcahy, followed by Matt Molloy and John Carty on 14 and 15 April, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Manus Lunny and Nia Byrne on 29 and 30 April, Steve Cooney, Iarla Ó Lionáird and Dermot Byrne on 13 and 14 May, and Máirtín O’Connor, Cathal Hayden and Seamie O’Dowd on 27 and 28 May.

Speaking about the series, Darach Mac Con Iomaire, Creative Director of Stiúideo Cuan, said:

It’s really exciting to see this new venue come to life now post-pandemic as it’s a much needed infrastructural shot in the arm for An Spidéal and for the entire south-Connemara region. The line-up speaks for itself – it will be great to have An Spidéal synonymous again with the best in Irish traditional music. It’s such a special room here in Stiúideo Cuan – intimate, comfortable and custom-built for music. The whole team here are really looking forward to these 12 special nights ahead.

The architecturally designed concert room has a capacity of 65 so tickets are limited.

Recent series and productions
Stiúideo Cuan opened last November with the premiere of An Cosán Draíochta by Johnny Óg Connolly. It has also recently broadcast a traditional music series titled Cuan an Cheoil on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, YouTube and on social media. The series, presented by Liam Ó Maonlaí, features a range of performances and in-depth discussions with musicians such as Síle Denvir and Barry Kerr, Mary Bergin and Conor Connolly, and Maitiú Ó Casaide and Róisín Chambers.

From this Saturday 13 March, between 6pm and 8pm, Stiúideo Cuan will also begin hosting a weekly traditional music session with fiddle-players Charlie Lennon, Éilís Lennon and Toner Quinn.

Founded by Charlie and Éilís Lennon, Stiúideo Cuan is based beside the Ceardlann craft centre in the Gaeltacht village and has recently undergone significant development to transform it from a studio only to a performance venue with a number of spaces including rehearsal and production space with recording and audio-visual post-production facilities. Other recent productions include the short film Ben’s Departure.

For further information and to book tickets for the upcoming concerts, visit www.stiuideocuan.ie.

Published on 8 March 2022

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