The idea for this mini-Podcast Series, “Notes from South Sligo ~ Shared Music & Memories from the South Sligo Summer School”, funded by the Creative Ireland Programme (Sligo) 2023 – 2027, came about through a clearly identified need to make a start on digitising and sharing some of our archive recordings from the South Sligo Summer School from over the past four decades before they disappear into the mists of time.  And so here we are at Episode One of Six.  We hope you enjoy listening, whether you remember the early years of the summer school and wish to relive those musical memories, have a particular interest in the traditional music of South Sligo and the surrounding area, wonder how and why it all came about in the first place, are looking to listen to recordings you haven’t had the chance to ever hear before or just like to dip into random podcasts.  In this Podcast series our aim is to capture the essence of what the South Sligo Summer School is all about and has been from the outset - music, song and dance, passing on the tradition, community, people, family and friends. 

There are recordings from across the first three decades featured in Episode One.  We hear the voice of Marie Flannery, founding member of the Summer School who along with the late Geraldine Murtagh, Rita Flannery & Michael Severs, took a big leap of faith back in 1986, made the jump, held the first South Sligo Summer School in the summer of 1987 and carried the idea through to where we are today.  Marie is a native of Culfadda, Co. Sligo, now living in Bunninadden in the heart of South Sligo, and in this first episode, she talks with Lisa Walsh, sharing some of the background to the early years and bringing everything together to create a summer school of traditional music, song and dance to Tubbercurry and South Sligo in the late 1980’s.  In a wide-ranging conversation, Marie talks about the many aspects of the summer school as it has grown and developed over the past four decades.  At one point she refers to one of her abiding wishes in relation to preserving the whole historical heritage of the area – the establishment of a museum in Tubbercurry – and in this context mentions the many craftspeople in South Sligo down the years, not least the rich heritage of Banada Lace.  Interestingly, today the practice of handcrafts continues to thrive in this area in many guises, including the craft of instrument making with renowned flute maker Damian Thompson & uilleann piper Liam Stapleton living locally and honing their skills with great dedication.

Geraldine Murtagh, always proud of her Leitrim roots, grew up in Manorhamilton, not far from Kiltyclogher where the Lennons, the late Charlie and Ben, came from.  Charlie was a very regular teacher and lecturer at the Summer School down the years and officially opened the South Sligo Summer School on Sunday, 11th July, 1999, the thirteenth year.  The first recording we listen to here is from Friday, 14th July, 2004.  Charlie on fiddle is joined by Peter Horan from Killavil, Co.Sligo on flute and they play a selection of reels, starting out with ‘The Laurel Tree’, followed by a set of jigs, ‘The Scotsman over the Border’ & ‘The Tenpenny Bit’, then two hornpipes, finishing with two reels, ‘The Boys of the Lough’ & ‘The Devils of Dublin’.

Next we hear Geraldine’s voice – again from 2004, introducing Harry Bradshaw’s lecture on ‘The Rediscovery of Michael Coleman’s Last Recordings’, followed by Harry himself as he in turn draws his lecture to a close and introduces Michael Coleman playing ‘The Graf Spey’ or ‘The Grand Spy’ as Michael called it, one of the last recordings Michael made in 1944, not long before his death on 4th January 1945, aged 54. Coincidentally, the letter written to Michael from Louis L. Sebok of Decca Records, arranging for the ten recordings to be made on a week day or night - but not on a Sunday as Michael had requested - is dated 4th January, 1944, exactly one year before he died. 

In 2011 the group Téada were celebrating their tenth year on the road.  Their members include Tubbercurry musician Damien Stenson, the third generation in his family to play the flute, following on from his father Joe and grandfather Luke; fiddle player Oisín Mac Diarmada, long-time resident in Coolaney, Co. Sligo, having spent his early childhood years in Crusheen, Co. Clare, box player Paul Finn from Co. Laois, Tristan Rosenstock from Co. Dublin on bodhrán and Monaghan musician Seán McElwain on bouzouki and guitar.  The late Séamus Begley had joined their ranks not long before that.  Having held our inaugural Tribute Night at Scoil Samhraidh Shligigh Theas for the late Gurteen fiddle player Andy Davey in 2002, in 2011 it was the turn of Téada.  A wonderful night ensued in St. Attracta’s Community School.  Here we feature the late Rita Flannery’s voice on that memorable night and we follow this wee snippet of her lovely North Donegal accent which she never lost with the rich traditional singing style of Gaoth Dobhair native Doimnic Mac Giolla Bhríde.  Born and raised in Carraig Airt, Rita always relished Doimnic’s visits to teach at Scoil Samhraidh Shligigh Theas and perform at the concerts and recitals.  Here Doimnic gives us his version of the traditional song ‘Mo Chreach, a Shiúir’ which he sang at the Singing Recital in July 2014.

Staying in 2014, we share a recording next of the Sligo fiddler Manus McGuire.  Manus has taught at the South Sligo Summer School on many occasions across the four decades. Raised in Sligo Town, Manus now lives in An Rinn, Port Láirge, having spent many years in East Clare.  This clip from 2014 features him playing a beautiful slow piece ‘Lios na Banríona’.  Keeping with the fiddle, our next recording is from a year later in 2015 when two sisters ~ and cousins of Harry Kane! ~ from Co. Galway, Liz and Yvonne Kane played a set of jigs composed by themselves - ‘One for Leo’, composed by Yvonne for Leo Hallissey & ‘Bernie from Brittas’, composed by Liz for one of her fiddle students - Liz did some teaching in Brittas, County Dublin in the 2010’s.  Liz and Yvonne follow up with a lovely set of reels in their own relaxed style deeply rooted in the tradition.  From Galway, native county also of the late Michael Severs, founder of the summer school alongside Geraldine, Rita & Marie, we move next closer to home, to Doocastle and to a recording from the Fiddle Recital at the second year of the summer school in 1988.  Recorded in St. Brigid’s Hall, the late Johnny Watt Henry plays Paddy Sean Nancy’s Reels and we follow this with the flute playing of the late Sonny McDonagh from Bunninadden, playing two years later in 1990 at the Flute & Whistle Recital, also in St. Brigid’s Hall.  In this recording Sonny plays the reels ‘The Copperplate’ and ‘The Galway Rambler’.  ‘Lucky in Love’, ‘The Bloom of Youth’ and ‘Trim the Velvet’ were other great favourites of Sonny’s.

The next two pieces feature two fiddle players who started out as students in those first few years of the summer school.  In fact, Declan Folan remembers getting his certificate at the end of his week of fiddle lessons in 1987 – an idea of Geraldine Murtagh’s with each student’s name beautifully handwritten.  Before we listen to Declan play his version of ‘The Copperplate’ and ‘The Galway Rambler’, accompanied by John O’Brien on piano, at the Michael Coleman Centenary Concert in 1991, we have a clip of Oisín Mac Diarmada from 1994 playing ‘The Bag of Spuds’ and ‘Farewell to Milltown’. 

Both Oisín and Declan have taught fiddle at the summer school for a long number of years – just two of many former students who developed their own style while staying true to the Sligo tradition and are now sharing all they have learned and picked up along the way with a whole new generation of young fiddle players. 

Set dancing has been a core part of the South Sligo Summer School from the outset.  Next year marks thirty years since Connie Ryan’s untimely death in May 1997.  Connie was the first set dance teacher at the South Summer School and in the next three clips we hear his unmistakable voice, the music of the mighty Matt Cunningham and his band and the rhythm of the dancers’ feet - starting with two pieces from 1989 and finishing with a recording from what turned out to be Connie’s last year to teach at the summer school – July 1996.  Music and memories – we hope these snippets bring a smile to you the listener’s face.

Coming towards the end of Episode One and returning to the fiddle, Paddy Ryan plays a hornpipe at the Michael Coleman Centenary Concert in 1991 for a young local dancer, Desmond Bailey, introduced by the Fear an Tí on the night, Martin Enright.  We go back a few years then to 1989 and to another local flute player, the legendary Harry McGowan from Carrowmore, a loyal supporter of the summer school all down the years ~ here he plays a selection of reels followed by a selection of jigs on solo flute.  We follow on with our last clip of tunes for our first episode, also from 1989, featuring the Henry family from Doocastle, Johnny Watt joined this time by his brother Kevin and sister Verona playing ‘Down the Broom’ and ‘The Gatehouse Maid’.  And we close it out with the voice of the late Michael Severs towards the end of that memorable Centenary Concert in St. Brigid’s Hall on Wednesday, 17th July.  Until Episode Two, slán abhaile agus fanaigí slán.