Some of Donegal’s outstanding fiddlers are lined up for the re-scheduled 40th Glenties Fiddle Concert at the Highlands Hotel on Saturday at 8pm.
They include two of the county’s best-known players, Ciarán Ó Maonaigh from Gaoth Dobhair and Aidan O’Donnell from Dunkineely. Both are former winners of the TG4 ‘Young Musician of the Year’ award, and members of the acclaimed group Fidil.
Some up-and-coming players are in the concert line-up. Megan Nic Fhionnghaile from Gaoth Dobhair has been studying music at the Irish World Academy at the University of Limerick.
She was recently joint winner of the Patrick O’Keefe Young Musician Award at a festival in Kerry.
Nia Ní Bheirn from Carrickfin is gaining a reputation as both a fiddler and a singer.
Neil Kennedy from outside Dungloe is another fast-developing player who has already featured prominently in fiddle competitions.
Inishowen is represented by Melanie Houton, described by Altán’s Mairead Ní Mhaonaigh as one of the finest players of her generation.
Melanie is from the famed area of Glengad, near Malin.
Conor Caldwell, a Belfast fiddler with strong Carrick connections, was also on the bill but is unable to make the rescheduled concert.
The Fiddle Concert is being organised by the Donegal fiddle organisation Cairdeas na bhFidiléirí.
It was originally scheduled for the beginning of October but was postponed because of the Creeslough tragedy.
Rab Cherry of Cairdeas said the concert line-up shows the strength of fiddle-playing in the younger generations in Donegal.
“We had the idea that for the 40th anniversary of the Glenties Fiddle Weekend we would feature players who weren’t born when the first weekend was held!
“It’s wonderful that 40 years later we can come along to the Highlands and hear such fantastic fiddlers from the Donegal tradition. They are making a great job of building on the legacy of the older players, and the great Donegal fiddlers who have passed on.”
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Posted: 8:00 pm November 25, 2022