Athy Comhaltas promoting our musical heritage

OVER the centuries, Irish traditional music has been shaped and reformed but two musical instruments remain at all times at the centre of Irish music making.

Uilleann pipes and the fiddle were in the past and remain today, along with the tin whistle, important influences in shaping Irish traditional music.

The harping tradition, unique to ancient Ireland and Ireland’s oldest music tradition, was saved by the Belfast Harper’s Festival held in that northern city in 1792.

An organising committee advertised their plan for reviving “the ancient music of Ireland” and invited performers of the Irish harp to assemble and perform in Belfast on the 11 July 1792.

Nine Irish harpers and one man from Wales attended as well as a youthful Edward Bunting who collected the harp music played and later published it.

A great deal of that music was the work of Turlough O’Carolan, the best known of Ireland’s harp composers who died in 1738.

I was prompted to recall the Harper’s Festival when I read of the recent success of Síofra Nic Gabhann, aged 13 years, in the Scléip Competition in the recent Gael Linn Schools Competition. Síofra, who is a member of Athy Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, started harp lessons when she was seven years old and approximately two years ago her parents purchased a harp especially made for her by Galway Harp maker Brian Callan.

Made with an olive ash frame and with a cedar sound board, it accompanies Síofra as she attends classical lessons in the Carlow College of Music and traditional lessons with Music Generation in Portlaoise.

Síofra is one of a growing number of adult and junior musicians who each week attend at Athy’s Comhaltas lessons and music sessions in Ardscoil Na Tríonóide, which are organised by Athy’s Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Eireann, which under the Chairmanship of Jim Kelly has grown hugely in popularity.

The weekly Tuesday night lessons starting at 6pm consist of training in Uilleann pipes, button accordion, tin whistle, fiddle and banjo followed by a group Seisúin na nÓg for juniors and an adult session involving both the music trainers and others at 7.30pm.

The well know Uilleann Piper Joe Byrne teaches the pipes, fiddle and the tin whistle, Sive Waters teaches fiddle and whistle, Sligo native Damien McGuinness, an All-Ireland Fleadh winner teaches button accordion while Niamh Ní Dhéa teaches banjo.

Others involved with the music lessons are Noreen Day, tin whistle, Sean Kelly, banjo, Orla Kelly, tin whistle and Gerard Bissett adult whistle.

It is an impressive set up involving many of the finest traditional musicians in our community.

Athy’s Comhaltas fame has spread and resulted in the group being invited to take to the Gig Rig stage during the 2025 All Ireland Fleadh Ceoil held in Wexford. Incidentally, this year's All Ireland Fleadh will be held in Belfast.

It is delightful to record the various family generations involved in the Athy’s Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.

Jim Kelly, who revived the local branch, plays the fiddle as did his late father Jack and Jim’s son Sean plays the fiddle and banjo and his grandchildren Jack and Faye play Uileann Pipes, fiddle and tin whistle.

Noreen Day plays tin whistle alongside her banjo playing daughter Niamh while her granddaughter Síofra is the only harp player in the group. 

Nicola McGrath plays fiddle with her two son Michael and Brendan on accordion and whistle, while accordion player Jarlath Hanlon plays alongside his son Alex.

Athy is extremely fortunate to have committed persons such as Jim Kelly, chairman, Nicola McGrath Secretary and Ger Kelly Treasurer of Athy’s Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, along with other volunteers, maintaining as they do our traditional Irish music which helps to maintain our cultural identity.

I am conscious that Athy’s Irish traditional musical heritage has been developed and maintained by the musicians such as the late Tos Quinn and the superb piper Brian Hughes.

The importance of the Thursday night Irish music session in Clancy’s pub cannot be overlooked as musicians past and present over the last 60 years have shared their musical talents with us. We are extremely fortunate to have so many excellent musicians sharing their talents with us.

John MacKenna, one of the finest writers to come out of South Kildare, will have his latest book ‘The Lock-Keeper’s Wife’ launched in Athy’s Library on Friday 27 February at 6.30pm. Don’t forget and come along to support John on this great occasion.