A stellar line-up of traditional Irish musicians will perform in a fundraising concert for Kinnycally Hall on Saturday night, January 25 at the Regional Cultural Centre in Letterkenny.
Visiting fiddlers include Siobhan Peoples from Ennis, a daughter of the renowned Tommy Peoples (1948 – 2018), who came from Kinnycally, outside St Johnston.
There’s also Bríd Harper, from Castlefinn and now living near Dungannon, and Paul Bradley, Armagh.
The Donegal contingent is headed by one of the great characters in traditional music, and an acclaimed fiddler, Danny Meehan.
Danny, originally from Mountcharles, is a past winner of the TG4 Gradam award for lifetime achievement.
Inishowen siblings Roisin McGrory and Paul Harrigan will duet on fiddle and pipes, while from Glenties comes the fiddle trio Tara Connaghan, Fiona Gavin and Peter Campbell.
Traditional singing will be well represented by Rita Gallagher, herself a TG4 Gradam award winner. She was described by the late Paddy Tunney as “the linnet of the Bluestacks”.
Caoimhin MacAoidh of the Donegal fiddle organisation Cairdeas na bhFidiléirí said the concert is for a cause close to the heart of Tommy Peoples.
“Kinnycally Hall played a big part in his life growing up and was a social centre for the area,” he explained.
“For him it was about the local community getting together, whether that was for traditional music, dancing, band practices, or other social events.
“He would be delighted to see what’s happening now and the efforts to renovate the hall and bring it back to life.”
Tommy Peoples’ grandfather Jimmy, himself a highly-regarded fiddler, and his brother-in-law Tommy Devine helped to secure the site for the hall.
There was also fundraising and physical work involved for locals to get the hall built.
The building, along the side of the road a couple of miles from St Johnston, hasn’t been used for many years.
However a development committee has already succeeded in getting funding to restore the structure, including securing the walls, re-roofing and new state-of-the-art windows.
‘A Night for Kinnycally Hall’ is part of Letterkenny Trad Week, presented by the Regional Cultural Centre and An Grianán Theatre.
It starts at 8pm on Saturday night, January 25 in the RCC.
Tickets (€15) are available at reception or from the RCC website regionalculturalcentre.com
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