ANTICIPATION is growing for the return of the Tuamgraney Harp Festival this May.
In preparation of its return, a coffee morning was held at Nuala’s Bar and Restaurant on Friday last with music provided by harpist Fiana Ni Chonaill and fiddler Manus McGuire.
A volunteer led community festival, it returns to Tuamgraney on the weekend of May 13th to 15th. Workshops, exhibitors, competitions in harp, fiddle and concertina will take place, along with a gala concert at St Joseph’s church. The 2020 concert was cancelled while last year’s event was held online with two workshops, a question-and-answer session with the two harp teachers and lunchtime and evening concerts.
Traditional music sessions are a regular event at Nuala’s throughout the year with Tuamgraney also steeped in other aspects of the Arts, adjoining villages host a range of events throughout the year such as the longest continuous amateur drama festival in Ireland.
First held in 2016, the Blossom Harp Festival was set up with the aim to rejuvenate interest in the harp, the Irish national emblem by supporting ensembles and integration with other traditional instruments. Workshops have been held at introductory, intermediate and advanced level, but also in the fiddle and concertina, all facilitated by renowned musicians. A competition for solo harpists and combination groups was introduced in 2017.
