Oidhreacht Chiarraí

24/08/2026

Registration takes place on Friday 28th August at the Dúchas Centre in MTU Sports Academy building at 7:30pm. Classes for children and adults.

17/08/2026

This week has been a very difficult one for the musical community in Tralee as we lost one of our most loved musician and friend, Mike O’Shea.

Mike was a founding member of Síamsa Tíre and came from a very talented family of musicians and singers. His late brother Timmy was a great fiddle player, and John a wonderful singer. Music was very much part of the fabric of the O’Shea family. .

For my family and I, our connection with the O’Shea family goes back many years. Mike's brother Timmy was my father’s best man at his wedding and my Godfather. My father played music with Timmy and John for over 65 years.

Mike was a gifted musician and singer, and his contribution to the musical life of Tralee will be greatly missed
Mike was also a true gentleman. His sharp wit and wonderful ability to see the humour in almost every situation meant that you were always guaranteed a laugh in his company. But behind that humour was a genuinely kind and caring person.

He leaves a huge void among the musicians and wider community of Tralee. His friendship, his music, his wit and his wonderful character will be remembered with great affection by all who had the privilege of knowing him.

The video clip is from a recording done in 1986.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis. ❤️

Kerry musicians, Nickie and Anne McAuliffe, Michelle O'Sullivan, Mi...

11/08/2026

One to tune into

09/08/2026

Áine O'Connor, our fiddle teacher featured in this video clip teaching in Westport. ❤️

23/06/2026

A truly magical performance of the beautiful tune Miss Hamilton.

This remarkable melody might well have been lost to history were it not for the legendary Irish music collector, Edward Bunting. During the historic Belfast Harp Festival in 1792, Bunting encountered and recorded the ancient repertoire of the last living generation of traditional Irish harpers. In his 1840 publication, The Ancient Music of Ireland, he famously described Miss Hamilton as the final composition of the old race of Irish harpers.

Congratulations to our young student, Eric Buckey, on his wonderful performance. To play this beautiful piece at the historic Rattoo Round Tower on such a lovely day is surely an occasion he will remember long into the future.

23/06/2026

Áine O'Connor (Ní Chonaill)being presented with flowers by Aoibhe Ní Chiardubhán, one of our youngest fiddle players.

23/06/2026

Our Kerry Fiddles programme is really starting to bear fruit. So lucky to have Áine O'Connor (Ní Chonaill) leading this programme. Wonderful to have a bunch of young talented enthusiastic fiddlers playing in a Kerry style. A work in progress but very rewarding for all involved. ❤️🎵🎻🎻❤️🎶

05/06/2026

What a fantastic weekend with our Oidhreacht Youth Traditional Music Initiative 🎶

Our young musicians were privileged to spend two inspiring days learning from two of Ireland’s finest traditional musicians, Ciarán Fitzgerald and Ademar O’Connor. Both highly accomplished performers, composers, educators and multiple All-Ireland champions, they worked with our young musicians on composing, arranging, technique and performance, bringing incredible energy, expertise and creativity to every session.

The result was a weekend full of music, learning, hard work, laughter and camaraderie, culminating in a wonderful performance by our young musicians.

A sincere thank you to Mayor Terry O’Brien for his support, Kerry County Council, Ned O’Shea Construction, Kelliher’s Toyota Tralee, and Music Generation Kerry, with whom we have enjoyed a fantastic collaboration throughout the year in developing our Junior and Senior Ensembles.

Míle buíochas to everyone who helped make the weekend such a success! 🎻🎵👏

25/05/2026

Our young student Eva Lucey is heading to the Munster fleadh in Waterford having qualified in a Trio under 12 at the Kerry Couny Fleadh. Well done Eva. 🎶

05/05/2026

The great Johnny O'Leary. RIP Johnny.

Johnny O'Leary talks about the music of Sliabh Luachra and the genius of fiddle player and teacher Pádraig O'Keeffe, who defines the local style.