The New Year gets off to a flying start for music lovers on TG4 with a new performance-driven series bringing the best of music from Donegal and its surrounding areas and Earagail Arts Festival 2022 to our screens.
Kicking off this Sunday 8th January at 9.30PM, over seven weeks, Féile Ealaíne an Earagail combines highlights of seven concerts recorded in front of lives audiences at An Grianán Theatre, Letterkenny, with specially-curated intimate performances recorded in various locations around Donegal in the summer of 2022.
Féile Ealaíne an Earagail, produced by Aniar TV, is presented by two new faces on TG4 – renowned young Donegal singer and musician Cathal Ó Curráin, along with the well-known singer Sibéal Ní Chasaide from Ráth Chairn in County Meath, best known for her incredible rendition of Mise Éire in the Centenary celebration.
Donegal women are very much to the fore in the first programme from Féile Ealaíne an Earagail this Sunday with The Sí Fiddlers taking centre stage at An Grianán Theatre.
The all female collective came together originally for a performance at the Earagail Arts Festival and they are still going strong, with well-known faces, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Bríd Harper, Tara Conaghan and others from all around the county bringing the best of their own regions to this powerful lineup.
Also appearing in the first programme of the series is performer and composer Belfast man Neil Martin, a regular visitor to Donegal, on cello, whistle and pipes along with Séamus Maguire.
Presenter Cathal Ó Curráin takes the opportunity to showcase his talent along with former teacher and mentor Manus Lunny and young harpist Lauren Ní Néill of Glenullin in Derry is the first of the young musicians featured in the series.
The series continues each Sunday on TG4 bringing some really special performances from a fine array of musicians and singers. On Sunday, 15th January at 9.30pm, Programme 2 is headlined by the highly-regarded Ye Vagabonds, and features performances from their Folk Music Award 2022 award winning album Nine Waves.
Also featured in the second programme are Paula and Melanie Houton, accompanied by Steve Cooney, John McCann from Fermanagh and Molly Walls from Toombridge in Antrim, accompanied by Jack Warnock from Maghera in Co. Derry. The young musician is singer Caitríona Ní Ghribín from Gaoth Dobhair in Donegal.
Earagail Arts Festival is kindly supported by Donegal County Council, The Arts Council & Fáilte Ireland.
Photo Credit: John Soffe Photography for Aniar
