Reaching out with trad music in north Kerry
Yvonne Buckley, Knockanure (left) with: John Neville and Katie Lucey, Listowel at the North Kerry Reaching Out session at The New Kingdom Bar in Listowel on Friday night. Credit: Photo by John Reidy
BRINGING trad music back into the north Kerry pub and raising awareness of the genealogy of the region was the twin-objectives at the heart of a great seisiún in the New Kingdom Bar, Listowel, on Friday night.
Organised by heritage group North Kerry Reaching Out, the night saw a great turnout as local Comhaltas musicians kept the atmosphere to the max all night. It was confirmation for the group that its series of trad nights in north Kerry pubs is answering a very definite demand.
"Trad music has kind of been lost from our pubs but people love it and we're seeing our trad nights getting bigger and bigger all the time," NKRO Chairman Ger Greaney said.
North Kerry Reacing Out was formed last year as an ambitious genealogy project. They make contact across the world with descendants of the region and research their family trees for free with NKRO'S team of volunteers. This year the project culminates with a special festival on the August Bank Holiday weekend.
"We already have one booking in town, six people over two nights so it is reaping economic success already, although at a very minor level so far. But seeing as we haven't even launched the festival yet we're taking that as quite a vote of confidence," Ger added. The group is also to launch its website soon.
Meanwhile, the NKRO team is busy preparing for its St Patrick's Day tea dance in the Listowel Arms, between 3 and 6pm on the day. Tickets are priced at €5 and available through Greaney's Spar on Market Street. The next trad night takes place in Parker's Bar, Kilflynn, on Saturday, March 3, next.
- DÓNAL NOLAN
