Celebrating Austria’s love of Irish music – and it all began in Galway

Date Published: {J}

When you think of countries where traditional Irish music is hugely popular, Austria wouldn’t immediately spring to mind.

But for almost two decades some of Ireland’s top trad touring acts, many from Galway, have been finding appreciative audiences in Austria for Irish music and song. Some 50 of these performers gathered together at Leap Castle in Offaly recently, to mark the launch of The Celtic Connections 2 CD, celebrating the friendship between Ireland, Austria and more recently, Austria and Scotland.

The Austrian/Irish friendship began when Austrian music promoter Dietmar Haslinger, first heard Galway singer Seán Keane.

“I wasn’t into Irish music – I had a few albums but I didn’t know anything about the history of Ireland,” Dietmar recalls.

In the mid 1990s, a friend sent him a tape of There were Roses, from Seán’s debut solo album, All Heart, No Roses. Written by Tommy Sands, the powerful song tells the story of how the conflict in Northern Ireland impacted on ordinary families and the destruction it wrought.

“I played it for a day – I was hooked by Sean’s voice,” says Dietmar.

As a result, he was involved in organising Sean’s debut visit to Austria, to play a festival in St Pölten. Their meeting marked the start of a strong friendship as well as professional relationship.

Dietmar scheduled a Christmas tour of Austria for which Sean was the headline act. It became an annual event, with Seán being accompanied by different musical guests from Ireland every year. The female quartet Dordán was among the earliest of these, recalls Dietmar.

“They and Sean introduced me to other musicians and the word spread,” he adds.

Other acts down the years have included the Bumblebees, Lúnasa, Máirtín O’Connor, Alec Finn, Alan Kelly, Johnny Óg Connolly and his father, Sean Johnny, Charlie Lennon, Eleanor Shanley, Marcus and PJ Hernon, Paddy Keenan, Seán Ryan, Jackie Daly, the late Micheál Ó Domhnaill, Cathal Hayden, Cora and Breda Smyth, Fergus Feeley . . . the list goes on.

Eventually Seán Keane moved on from the Christmas festival, and now plays a solo tour of Austria annually. But the Christmas tour continues, with other musicians, and Dietmar also runs other events throughout the year. The Celtic Spring Connection and The Celtic Summer Night feature Irish and Scottish acts, and the Scottish Festival Night focuses on Scottish performers.

The Scottish aspect evolved when musicians in that country contacted Dietmar on foot of the Irish success.

Dietmar credits dance shows like Riverdance as helping to build an audience for Irish music in Austria, explaining that the show was a massive success when it visited Vienna.

But it would be impossible to underestimate his role in promoting Irish acts. All his shows are sit-down events, and while the various venues do have bars, no drink is sold during the concerts.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.