A Waterford brother and sister, and three fiddlers who have flown in from America, will be amongst the competitors taking to the stage tonight in the Rochestown Park Hotel in Cork for the final of the Seán Ó Riada Gold Medal competition - watch it live above from 7pm.
The competition, run by musician and composer Peadar Ó Riada on his RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta programme Cuireadh chun Ceoil, is now in its ninth year and this year the instrument is fiddle.
The judges, Connie O’Connell, Maeve Donnelly and Paddy Glackin, are all esteemed musicians in their own right, and they will be looking for musicality from the competitors, as much as, or maybe even more so, than technical perfection.
The winner will come away with the bespoke Seán Ó Riada Gold Medal, designed by renowned Cashel silversmith Pádraig Ó Mathúna who passed away recently, as well as €2500.
Beidh seacht fidléir déag ar stáitse oíche Dé hAoine 1 Feabhra in Óstán an Rochestown Park i gCorcaigh agus iad san iomaíocht sa chraobh do Bhonn Óir Seán Ó Riada.
Beidh deartháir agus deirfiúr as Port Láirge, chomh maith le triúr ceoltóirí atá tagtha anall as Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá, i measc na n-iomaitheoirí. Is é Ademar O’Connor, 15, as Uíbh Fhailí, an ceoltóir is óige sa chomórtas.
Beidh na moltóirí, Connie O’Connell, Maeve Donnelly agus Paddy Glackin, ag faire amach do cheolmhaireacht agus tuiscint ar an gceol agus iad ag iarraidh seaimpín na bliana seo a roghnú, agus ní ar feabhas teicniúil amháin a bheidh a n-aird dírithe.
Is é an cumadóir agus an ceoltóir Peadar Ó Riada a chuirfidh an ócáid i láthair, agus beidh sé le cloisteáil beo ar RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta ó 7 pm Dé hAoine 1 Feabhra.
