Doireann Ní Ghlacáin is a fiddle player, sean nós singer, academic and broadcaster.
She learnt the fiddle under the tutelage of her father, Kevin Glackin and inherited a love of the Irish language from her mother Sorcha Ní Riada of west Cork Gaeltacht, Cúil Aodha. She has been at the forefront of Irish language broadcasting in her work with TG4, and has toured the world with her fiddle playing in China, The Middle East, all over Europe and America.
Doireann presents her new multimedia project at the National Concert Hall on October 8th as part of the Tradition Now series. Say a Song combines the worlds of music, literature and technology to breathe new life into the sean nós tradition.
We asked Doireann for her choice cultural picks...
FILM
I know I'm biased (I work as a presenter for TG4), but Irish language film is really having a moment. We've all seen and adored An Cailín Ciúin but there are plenty of recent releases such as Arracht, Róise & Frank and Foscadh that would hold their own and surpass many international and mainstream releases. Beautiful stories, amazing home-grown talent and supporting Irish creatives and industries - it's a win-win.
MUSIC
Tony Linnane's new fiddle album. One of the finest exponents of our modern tradition, I have been waiting years to hear this album. It's going to be a dinger!
BOOK
I am on a big Elena Ferrante buzz at the moment and devouring all her books. A holiday to Italy is pending. I've also only recently discovered Claire Keegan's writing and I don't think I'll ever be the same again.
THEATRE
I often bring myself on solo dates to the theatre, it's my form of self-care! Damien Dempsey's Tales from the Holywell in the Abbey stands out, it was immensely powerful. I went to see Dancing at Lughnasa in the National Theatre in London this year with an all-star Irish cast featuring Siobhán McSweeney, Ardal O'Hanlon, Justine Mitchell, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Alison Oliver and much more. It was an amazing production and Brian Friel's work is just as relevant to modern audiences now as it was in 1990 when it was written. A beautiful work that I'm still thinking about months later.
TV
The Sunday Game.
GIG
The Tradition Now series in the National Concert Hall always promises a rich night of music, but apart from that, I can't wait for Ispíní na Éireann (often dubbed as Ireland's hardest working band) playing the Academy on the 21st of December. It’s going to be a banger of a gig!
ART
My knowledge of visual art is limited but I'm trying to get into it more - I love Aideen Barry's work, Poot Mendes, Siobhán O'Callaghan and Salvatore of Lucan to name but a few.
Oil on canvas © Salvatore of Lucan
TECH
Every year my New Year’s resolution is to improve my self-discipline - I've learnt that if I take the phone out of the equation the self-discipline usually sorts itself out, so my most valuable apps are the ones that restrict phone usage. I set timers to get tasks done etc. There are loads out there on the App Store!
THE NEXT BIG THING...
I'm very excited about the Say a Song project I'm working on with some of Ireland's most exciting writers. Supported by the Arts Council, I'm working with some of Ireland's leading poets on translating work from the oral Irish tradition. It's amazing how down through the centuries many of Ireland's social issues remain the same and there is such commonality in the modern Irish experience with societies of the past. It’s going to be a really impactful work - I can't wait for people to see it!
Doireann presents Say a Song at the National Concert Hall on October 8th as part of the Tradition Now series - find out more here.
