Masters Of Tradition

Bantry, Co. Cork

Wed 19 Aug 2026 - Wed 19 Aug 2026 (note: this event has already taken place)

Curated by Martin Hayes, the five day festival runs from 19 – 23 August with concerts in Bantry House, Marino Church and other venues in the region including Whiddy Island and Future Forests.

Highlights include an eagerly-anticipated late night, candlelit performance in Bantry House by acclaimed singer and composer Méav Ní Mhaolchatha who will present music from her forthcoming album Sweet Sorrow. Other highlights include performances from Ciarán Ó Gealbháin and Louise Mulcahy, Portuguese musician Tiago Matias, cellist Clíodhna Ní Aodáin, and fiddle virtuoso Ryan Young.

A particularly special event this year is the world premiere of Irish Rhapsody by Selena O'Neill (b. 1893), a pianist active in Chicago's Irish music community. Best known for accompanying the collector Francis O'Neill, she had until recently never been recognised as a composer. Unearthed through research by music historian Richie Piggott, Irish Rhapsody is the first known example of her work in this role. Performed by Aoife Ní Bhriain and Cormac McCarthy, the programme also features a new companion work by composer Seán Doherty, conceived as a contemporary response to O'Neill's composition.

A Cainteanna (Talks) series