Trad stars teach for free – with Galway’s global online university

A host of Ireland’s finest musicians are passing on their talents to the world for free in a visionary project that’s the brainchild of the Galwayman behind global online university Alison and an acclaimed musician who is also one of the most familiar faces of TG4.

Doireann Ní Ghlacáin – a member of the famous Glackin and Ó Riada musical dynasties – has teamed up with Loughrea native Mike Feerick to create courses for the new Traditional Irish Music hub on Galway-based Alison.com – and they are all free to learners.

The project offers certified courses – at Beginner, Beginner 2 and Intermediate Levels – in fiddle, Irish traditional guitar, bodhrán, flute, tin whistle, concertina, button accordion and sean-nós singing.

The multi-award-winning course tutors, most of them from or living in Connacht, include All-Ireland champion and 2019 Young Irish Musician of the Year, button accordionist Conor Connolly, from Clarinbridge.

They also include All-Ireland champion sean-nós singer and TG4 Singer of the Year Nell Ní Chróinín – the youngest ever winner of the national ‘Corn Uí Riada’ competition. Since 2016, Nell has been the lead vocalist with well-known Cork group Danú.

Fleadh Cheoil winner Conor O’Loughlin will teach concertina; multi-instrumentalist Michael McCague will look after guitar; Hermitage Green drummer Dermot Sheedy will teach bodhrán, and Fleadh Cheoil winner Brian O’Loughlin will teach flute and tin whistle.

Doireann herself will host fiddle lessons on the course, organised the recordings, filmed by fellow musician Liam O’Brien.

A native Irish speaker who was born in Dublin but lives in the west, Doireann’s mother is TG4 political correspondent, Sorcha Ní Riada – meaning her grandfather was the composer Seán Ó Riada, widely hailed as instigating the 20th-century revival of the traditional Irish music scene.

Read the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now – or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie