Siamsa Tíre open the first Teach Siamsa or folk academy in Finuge, County Kerry.
Father Pat Ahern started Siamsóirí na Ríochta in the 1960s. This community group celebrated Irish traditions and culture, specifically those of north Kerry, through music and dance, in an era when they were rapidly disappearing from Irish life.
The ongoing success of Siamsóirí na Ríochta performances in many venues around the country led Fr Ahern to establish Siamsa Tíre in 1974.
The Teach Siamsa in Finuge opened last July as a folk academy, where the cultural traditions of this part of north County Kerry can be researched and nurtured.
At the opening celebration, where Father Pat Ahern performs O’Carolan’s ‘Farewell To Music’ on a fiddle owned by the late fiddler Paddy Cronin.
The festivities begin in earnest with set dancing and music provided by Anne Sheehy on button accordion and Nicky McAuliffe on flute.
Fr Ahern explains that the Teach Siamsa will be open to all and provide training in singing, dancing, music, and mime.
‘Radharc: Bímis Ag Rince’ was broadcast on 30 March 1975.
'Radharc', a series specialising in religious programming, was produced for RTÉ by Radharc, an independent production company run by Catholic priests and lay staff.
'Radharc' can be translated to English as 'view'. Founding director Fr. Joseph Dunn put together a team of priests, some of whom had received training in television production in London and New York in the late 1950s.
The 'Radharc' team made their first production in 1960 in Donegal, a short film about customs relating to St Brigid's Day. The first programme in the 'Radharc' series for RTE was broadcast on 12 January 1962.
Between 1961 and 1996 the Radharc team would produce over 400 hundred films from Ireland and around the world. The films often dealt with issues relating to peace and justice both at home and abroad.
The popular religious affairs series ended production in 1996 after the death of Fr Joseph Dunn.
