Celtic Corner
Irish Music Awards Nominees Named for 2012

Irish Music Awards Nominees Named for 2012

Online voting began December 1 and extends until January 12, 2013 on nominees in 18 categories for the fifth annual Irish Music Awards presented by the Independence, Missouri-based Irish Music Association. The awards are slated to be presented on Saturday afternoon, January 26, at O’Malley’s Pub in Weston, MO. [To view the list of nominees, click on the headline.]

Martin Fay, Original Member of The Chieftains, 1936-2012

Martin Joseph Fay, an Irish fiddler and bones player who was a founding member of The Chieftains, died Nov. 14. He was 76 and had been ill for some time. [To read the article in full, click on the headline.]

‘Banjo’ Barney McKenna, Last Founding Member of The Dubliners, 1939-2012

Bernard Noel “Banjo” Barney McKenna, the last original member of the Irish folk band The Dubliners and widely considered the most influential banjo player in Irish music, died at his kitchen table on April 5 while having a up of tea with a musician friend, He was 72 and had just completed a UK tour with The Dubliners in March to help mark the group’s 50th anniversary. McKenna also performed at a Dublin funeral the night before he died. [To read the article in its entirety, click on the headline.]

Celtic Music Fills Harvard Square During BCMFest, Jan. 6-7, 2012

A wide array of Irish, Scottish, Cape Breton, Appalachian and other Celtic and Celtic-inspired music and dance is on tap during Boston’s annual Celtic Music Fest (BCMFest), Jan. 6-7, 2012. The grassroots, musician-run, family-friendly winter Celtic music festival takes place at three venues in Harvard Square that are all within easy walking distance of one another – a change from previous years when not all the events took place in Cambridge. [To read the full article, click on the headline.]

Online Voting Runs Through Jan. 12 for 2011 Irish Music Awards

Online voting began December 1 and extends until January 12, 2012 on nominees in 18 categories for the fourth annual Irish Music Awards presented by the Independence, Missouri-based Irish Music Association. [To read the article and see the list of nominees, click on the headline.]

Celtic Classic Returns to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Sept. 23-25, 2011

The 24th annual Celtic Classic highland games & festival is set for September 23-25 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Presented by the nonprofit Celtic Cultural Alliance, the free event is a celebration of the Irish, Scottish and Welsh cultures and heritage and will feature four stages of continuous entertainment. {To read the full article, click on the headline.]

Boston Irish Festival 2011 Set for June 17-19

Black 47, Enter the Haggis, Joshua tree, The Makem & Spain Brothers, The Prodigals, The Screaming Orphans and Derek Warfield and the Young Wolfe Tones are among the artists slated to grace the main stage during the 21st annual Boston Irish Festival. Set for Friday evening June 17 through Sunday evening, June 19, in Canton, Massachusetts, the festival also will feature Irish dancing, films, sports, art, food, an O’Connell Street Marketplace, book readings and sales, genealogy research, and children’s activities. A number of other local and touring artists also will perform during the event. [To view the entire article, click on the headline.]

Quick Q & A with Aoife Clancy

Irish and contemporary folk music courses through Aoife Clancy’s blood. Clancy, who hails from the small town of Carrick-on-Suir in County Tipperary, Ireland and now calls Massachusetts home, is the daughter of Bobby Clancy (of the celebrated Clancy Brothers), with whom she began playing in local pubs as a young teenager. Over the years, Aoife Clancy has shared stages with some of Ireland’s most noted artists, was part of the acclaimed all-female Irish-American group Cherish The Ladies, and has toured extensively as a solo artist. She also collaborates with other artists as part of The Clancy Legacy and The Jammin’ Divas, as well as playing duo shows with Robbie O’Connell. Kathy Sands-Boehmer posed a few questions to Aoife Clancy recently. [To...

Irish Echo Names Joe Derrane Trad. Artist of the Year for 2010

Joe Derrane, a Boston-born button accordionist and composer, has been named top traditional artist of 2010 by the Irish Echo, the largest circulation Irish-American weekly newspaper. He is the first to receive this honor twice since its inception in 1993. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

Boston Celtic Music Fest Set for January 7-8, 2011

A wide array of Irish, Scottish, Cape Breton, Appalachian and other Celtic-inspired music and dance is on tap during the Boston Celtic Music Fest (BCMFest). Boston, Massachusetts’ annual grassroots, musician-run, winter Celtic music festival takes place Jan. 7-8, 2011. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

RUNA Wins a Bevy of Montgomery Bucks Music Awards

RUNA, a Celtic vocal and instrumental ensemble from the Philadelphia area, was the top winner in the 2010 Montgomery Bucks Music Awards held Nov. 8 at the Triumph Brewing Company in New Hope, Pennsylvania. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

Celtic Classic On Tap for Sept. 24-26 in Bethlehem, PA

Throngs of people are expected to converge on Historic Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Sept. 24-26, for the 23rd annual Celtic Classic. Presented by the nonprofit Celtic Cultural Alliance, the free event is a celebration of the Irish, Scottish and Welsh cultures and heritage. [To view the article, click on the headline.]