Traditional Irish Music at Dorset College Dublin

Today the canteen of Dorset College Dublin, English Language School, was transformed from a free tea and coffee chill-out area to a buzzing Traditional Irish Music venue.

Niall O’Glynn and Aidan Connolly, both secondary school students here in Dublin, had been spotted a couple of weeks ago on Grafton Street showcasing their talent to the throngs of passers by who were in Dublin city centre to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

Dorset College invited the pair of talented and enthusiastic musicians to the school on Mountjoy Square to perform some of their favourite traditional Irish tunes on the banjo and fiddle.

It didn’t take long for the audience of Dorset College students and teachers to start stamping their feet and clapping their hands in appreciation of the music.

Niall and Aidan cleverly chose a number of songs that lay their origins in different parts of the country; north, south, east and west. This showed their dynamic playing ability as the various styles and tempos synonymous with the scattered rural towns of Ireland were executed brilliantly.

The boys in true seanachaoi (storyteller in the Irish Language of Gaelainn /Gaeilge) fashion gave a short story as to the history and meaning of each song before playing. The favourite songs within the audience proved to be the fast paced reel of “McDonogh’s/Paddy Lynn’s Delight” named after Niall’s grand father who was a County Mayo man and the slower lament aired tune of “An Spailpin Fanach/Jerry’s Beaver Hat”.

Thank you Niall and Aidan for providing such lively entertainment through old Irish story and song.

Beir Bua libh/ success & triumph to you!