The Mulcahy Family from Abbeyfeale in West Limerick have been announced as the winners of Irish Traditional Album of the Year 2016 by popular trad music website TradConnect for their album The Reel Note. They also pick up a cash prize of €3,000, sponsored by INEC Killarney.
Musical families are often the backbone of multi-generational continuity within that global community, and no musical family today is more impressive in upholding the best principles of the tradition than the Mulcahys. Mick, Louise & Michelle Mulcahy play a dazzling array of instruments between them but it's the sweetness and tunefulness of their ensemble playing that is most striking.
2016 TG4 Gradam Ceoil award winner Mick O’Connor says that “What comes through on this album is an implacable discernment, taste and respect for the continuity of the tradition. The Mulcahy Family represents a new generation of musicians who have made a serious study of the music and are poised to bring it to a new height”.
Mick Mulcahy is also a living legend in Irish accordion playing, with a rare repertoire of old tunes which he plays in a highly distinctive style - a style of personal touch which distinguishes the work of the true traditional musician, a touch which has been passed down to his two daughters Louise and Michelle. Previous Mulcahy Family albums, including Notes From The Heart and Reelin’ in Tradition recorded with Cló Iar-Chonnacht featured in the top five traditional albums in the United States.
We need your consent to load this SoundCloud contentWe use SoundCloud to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
‘On winning the award, The Mulcahy Family said: “We are truly humbled and honoured to receive this award, as there were many superb albums released throughout the year. The album is a celebration of the music we play together as a family, and represents the joy the tradition brings us. We look forward to continuing to share our music at home and abroad.”
For more trad news and tunes, visit TradConnect.
