The programme for the 2024 Seán Corcoran Series has been announced, taking place between 6 and 8 September in Drogheda, Co. Louth.

This is the second year of the festival, which was founded in tribute to the late Louth traditional singer and collector Seán Corcoran who died in 2021.

The programme’s broad approach spans Irish traditional music, song and experimental and international arts, including the Irish debut of Palestinian cellist Naseem Alatrash, a new work from composer Natalia Beylis, a screening of Sorcha Glackin’s recent film on the song collector Tom Munnelly, a public conversation with archivist Catriona Crowe, and a traditional singing session.

‘Last year’s sold-out festival was a really joyous gathering in celebration of the life and work of my late father Seán,’ says founder Rosa Corcoran. ‘To be able to bring artists and audiences together in the heart of his hometown of Drogheda town felt very special.’

A lot of love and care has gone into the curation of this year’s programme. It’s important to me personally that all who join us feel a sense of welcome and croí na féile – ‘the soul of hospitality’ is our guiding light. There’s a rich tradition of song in Drogheda and across Louth, and a vibrant grassroots culture of creativity. That’s always been enhanced by those from other places who’ve chosen to make Drogheda their home. That’s really something to celebrate … 

Sean-nós trio
The festival opens on Friday 6 September at the Droichead Arts Centre in Drogheda with a performance by sean-nós singer Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin with a trio comprising cellist Kaitlin Cullen-Verhauz and guitarist Ian Kinsella.

On Saturday morning, festival artist-in-residence Natalia Beylis and Rita Hynes of the Drogheda Zine Fair will conduct a zine-making workshop inspired by the activism of the late Drogheda historian Moira Corcoran. This will be followed by a screening of Tom Munnelly: Fear na n-Amhrán, Sorcha Glackin’s documentary on the late song collector. Irish Times journalist Sorcha Pollak will conduct a Q&A with the director after the screening.

At 4pm on Saturday, singer Niamh Bury, a founder member of the Cobblestone-based ‘Night Before Larry Got Stretched’ song collective, will host the Seán Corcoran Series singing session at the Old Methodist Church. This is a free event and all are welcome.

On Saturday evening, a concert with the theme of ‘Croí na Féile – You’re Welcome Here Kind Stranger’ will take place at St Augustine’s Church in Drogheda at 8pm and feature the Irish debut of Palestinian cellist Naseem Alatrash. A member of the Four Corners Quartet, which combines Middle Eastern, jazz, classical and folk styles, Alatrash studied at the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music in Palestine and at Berklee College in the US. He has been featured at France’s Nancy Jazz Festival, Lebanon’s Beiteddine Festival, the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, London’s Royal Albert Hall, and at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw. Following the festival, Alatrash will travel to the Tyrone Guthrie centre in Annaghmakerrig to begin work on a new collaborative composition with cellist and composer Neil Martin for the Séan Corcoran Series.

The Saturday night concert will also feature fiddle player Doireann Ní Ghlacáin, singer Len Graham, violinist Cora Venus Lunny, Niamh Bury, poet Theo Dorgan, bouzouki player Libby McCrohan, Michael Holohan, Eoghan Mac Giolla Bhríde and more.

Composer Beylis will host a listening workshop at the Old Methodist Church in Drogheda on Sunday at 12pm. This event is aimed towards both novice and seasoned sound collectors/field recordists and those interested in finding new ways to engage with the everyday sonic landscape. Beylis will also create a specially commissioned graphic score in collaboration with the bell ringers of St Peter’s Church of Ireland and this will be performed on Sunday.

The public conversation with Catriona Crowe, in which she will be interviewed by historian and podcaster Donal Fallon, will take place at the Highlanes Gallery at 1pm. Other events over the weekend include a tribute to flute player and singer Cathal McConnell by a flute troupe led by Rev Gary Hastings with Aoife Granville, Fióna Ní Mhearáin, Sabhbh Ní Mhaolagáin, Harry Bradley and Fintan Vallely, a ‘Make a Mummers Hat’ event with Leitrim’s Sowing the Seed Project, a ‘Wonders of the Wild’ talk with Éanna Ní Lamhna, and a talk by historian Brendan Matthews on ‘The History of Culinary & Medicinal Herbs in Drogheda’.

For full details on all events, visit https://seancorcoranseries.com.

Subscribe to our newsletter.