Date Published: 23-Mar-2011

Anyone looking at this album would say ‘the old music is doing OK out in Connemara,” says Leo Hallisey, Director of the Conamara Environmental Educational and Cultural Centre, about The Mermaid’s Purse, a new CD featuring the talent of about 50 of Connemara’s finest young traditional musicians.

The album is being launched on Friday, April 1, in the Station House Hotel in Clifden. It is the work of the Conamara Environmental Education and Cultural Centre, (CEECC) Letterfrack and the musicians taking part range in age from eight to 18, and from all over Connemara – both the Irish and English speaking areas.

The Mermaid’s Purse came about following a series of concerts, entitled Mól an Óige, which have been running for about seven years, under the auspices of CEECC and which provide a platform for up-and-coming musicians throughout Connemara. These concerts are held twice yearly in the Church of Ireland, Clifden, to mark both the winter and summer solstice. As well as providing great entertainment over the years, the concerts have raised thousands of euros for local charities.

“The logical way to go was to record the music, because it encapsulates the whole energy of the concerts,” explains Leo, who is the driving force behind the project. “The idea behind the concerts was to provide a warm safe space where the kids could feel safe in a warm embrace with an audience who wanted them to succeed. The sort of space where if they made a mistake they could start again.

People going to the concerts could see the kids coming up, and get an accurate picture of the fine quality and variety of music being played by young people all over Connemara.”

The album is a mix of song and music, with five songs in total being included –a couple of these in Irish.

The Mermaid’s Purse was produced by the well-known piper Ronan Browne who recorded the CD in the Church of Ireland, where the concerts took place.

“It was an environment where they were comfortable and it was also an elegant space, with a bit of atmosphere, where there was a bit of space between themselves and the audience. Ronan made it a truly wonderful and memorable experience for all the young players involved,” says Leo.

Spiddal based Ronan also enjoyed the experience. “They were such a wonderful group of young people to work with, full of excitement and with the music oozing out of their pores. We all had a great time,” he says.

The artwork on the CD is by Vincent Murphy, well known for his work as a book designer. Vincent also designed An Cosán Draíochta, the much praised last musical recording from CEECC.

But none of this would have been possible without a huge network of support, says Leo.

“We are blessed to have, a wonderful cohort of highly talented music teachers and their work forms the bedrock of this CD,” he says.” I’d especially like to thank Marie Walsh, Liz Kane, Ciara Conlon, Noreen O’Sullivan and Mary Finn who have contributed so much to the development and nurturing of Irish traditional music locally.”

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.