Éadaoin Fitzmaurice took up sean nós singing as a hobby and through learning old songs has found a deeper connection to Ireland and those who have gone before us here.
Ireland is in the midst of a cultural reawakening. Across the country, there's a renewed pride in our native tongue, a deeper curiosity about folklore, and a fresh energy around music and symbolism that has been passed down for generations. You can feel it everywhere — in the surge of people signing up for Irish classes, in the gatherings where traditional songs spill late into the night, and in the small but powerful ways people are reconnecting with their roots.
Tá réabhlóid chultúrtha ag tarlú in Éirinn. Tá bród ollmhór ar ár dteanga dhúchais, fiosracht níos doimhne faoi bhéaloideas, agus fuinneamh úrnua timpeall ceoil agus siombalachas atá á gcur ar aghaidh ó ghlúin go glúin eile. Moltar é i ngach áit — sa líon daoine atá ag clárú do ranganna Gaeilge, sna pubanna ina mbíonn amhráin thraidisiúnta á gcanadh, agus sna bealaí beaga ach cumhachtacha ina bhfuil daoine ag athcheangal lena bhfréamhacha.
For me, the Irish language has always been part of who I am. I learnt my Irish in secondary school by attending a Gaelcholaiste, but once I handed in my Leaving Cert papers in 2012, formal study of the language ended. Still, I never let it slip away completely. I sought out ways to keep it alive in my daily life — making friends I could speak it with, joining the Cumann Gaelach at university, and turning up to Irish language events that kept me connected to the wider community of speakers. Over the years, however, the pull to return to learning the language in a more formal setting only grew stronger.
Bhí an Ghaeilge i gcónaí im chroí. D’fhoghlaim mé sa mheánscoil í i nGaelcholáiste, ach cuireadh stop ar an staidéar foirmiúil nuair a chríochnaigh mé mo h-Ardteist in 2012. Lean mé ar aghaidh ag labhairt i mbealach neamhfhoirmiúil amach ansin. Bhí mé i gcónaí ag lorg bealaí chun í a choinneáil beo im’ shaol — trí cairde le Gaeilge a chruthú, páirt a ghlachadh san Cumann Gaelach agus mé san ollscoil, agus freastail ar imeachtaí Gaeilge i measc pobal na gcainteoirí. Le himeacht ama, tháinig fonn filleadh ar an bhfoghlaim orm.
That’s what brought me to sean-nós singing this summer. It had been sitting on my bucket list for years, always postponed by the busyness of life. Most of my hobbies revolve around movement and exercise, so the idea of carving out time for something slower, something deeply tied to heritage and creativity, felt like exactly the change I needed.
Thosaigh mé ar chanadh ar an sean-nóis i rith an tsamhraidh. Bhí sé ar nós agam é a dhéanamh le blianta, ach chuir gnóthachas an tsaoil moill air i gcónaí. Bíonn mo chaitheamh aimsirí bunaithe ar ghluaiseacht agus ar aclaíocht, mar sin bheartaigh mé ar mo scileanna cruthaitheacha a fhorbairt, agus mo n-oidhreacht a chur san áireamh freisin.
Sean-nós, meaning "old style," is one of the purest and most intimate forms of Irish traditional music. This unaccompanied style of singing has been passed down orally through generations, carrying with it not only melodies but the history, emotion, and storytelling of Irish society. What makes sean-nós particularly fascinating is that there’s no sheet music. Instead, it is learned entirely by ear, through repetition, and practice, making each performance unique to the singer. There is a saying in the Irish language "Cleachtadh a dhéanann maistreacht" - practice leads to mastery, which is particularly fitting in this case.
'Seard is sean-nós é ná ceoil pearsanta d’amhránaíocht thraidisiúnta na hÉireann. Cuirtear an stíl seo ar aghaidh ó bhéal, ag breathnú ar an stair, mothúchán agus scéalaíocht mhuintir na hÉireann. Is é an rud is spéisiúla faoi ná nach mbíonn aon nótaí nó scríbhneoireacht cheoil ann. Foghlaimítear é de ghlanmheabhair, trí éisteacht, athrá agus cleachtadh. Deirtear "Cleachtadh a dhéanann maistreacht" — agus níl ráiteas níos oiriúnaí ann.
I started my lessons in May with teacher (and professional singer) Inni-K at The Cobblestone Pub - one of the most iconic music pubs in all of Dublin. I’ll admit — I was nervous. I’m not a naturally gifted singer, and the thought of stepping into a class was daunting. My goal was simply to hold my own during a sing-song in the pub after a night out with friends. But what I found was something much bigger: a sense of connection that carried me far beyond that.
Thosaigh mé le ceachtanna i mí na Bealtaine le múinteoir (agus amhránaí) Inni-K sa Cobblestone — ceann de na tithe ceoil is clúití i mBaile Átha Cliath. Caithfidh mé a rá — bhí mé neirbhíseach. Níor bhraith mé go raibh bua ceoil ionam, agus bhí mé neirbhíseach roimh na ranganna. Ba é an sprioc a bhí agam ná a bheith in ann sing-song sa phub a dhéanamh agus mé amuigh le cairde. Ach nasc agus grá don teanga bhí ann ar deireadh.
The course stretched over twelve weeks, and by the end I had seven songs — three of them off by heart. Each week brought a new piece of history to uncover, with songs that spoke of nature, love, and longing. Though the words were written from centuries past, their themes still feel achingly familiar, resonating with the same emotions I carry today.
Rinne mé cúrsa dhá sheachtain déag, agus ar dheireadh bhí seacht n-amhrán agam — triúr acu foghlamtha de ghlanmheabhair. Le gach amhran, d’foghlaim mé píosa nua staire, le teamaí ar an dúlra, ar an ngrá, agus ar an uaigneas fite fuaite . Tá tuiscint againn go léir ar na teamaí seo sa lá ata inniu ann freisin.
The classes were bilingual, which gave me the chance to weave Irish back into my weekly routine and even add a few new words to my vocabulary along the way. What struck me most, though, was the mix of people gathered in the room. Some had little or no Irish, others were fluent. There were people from all across Ireland and people tuning in via Zoom from as far afield as Canada and the USA, all spanning different ages and stages of life. That blend of backgrounds sparked a shared energy, a clear sign of the growing desire to connect more deeply with the Irish language and the traditions that surround it.
Bhí na ranganna dátheangach, agus deis ann dom an Ghaeilge a úsaid agus cúpla focal nua a fhoghlaim ar an mbealach. Bhí manglam de dhaoine ann. Bhí daoine ann gan aon Ghaeilge, daoine líofa, daoine ó gach cearn d’Éirinn agus daoine a bhí páirteach ar Zoom chomh fada le Ceanada agus SAM. Bhí gach aoisghrúpa ann. Chruthaigh an éagsúlacht sin fuinneamh agus léiriú soiléir ar an dúil atá ag an nGaeilge agus leis na traidisiúin a bhaineann léi.
Sean Nós is supposed to be sung solo, but hearing the mix of voices singing together each week brought such joy to my heart. On our second-to-last week, we brought that energy into The Cobblestone, performing side by side as a group and dedicating a song in solidarity with Palestine. It was a deeply emotional moment, one that made me realise my journey with sean-nós was only beginning. It was something I wanted to carry with me, a thread that keeps me connected to heritage, community, and culture.
Is stíl aonarach canadh é an sean-nós, ach bhí rud éigin draíochtúil faoi na guthanna éagsúla ag teacht le chéile gach seachtain. Ar ár seachtain dheireanach, thugamar an fuinneamh sin isteach sa Chobblestone, ag canadh amhráin i gcomhpháirt le muintir na Palaistíne. Thuig mé ansin nach raibh mo thuras ach ag tosú. Bhí a fhios agam gur rud é seo a bheadh liom i gcónaí — snáithe a chruthann nasc le mo hoidhreacht, pobail agus cultúr.
I had barely finished the course when a friend asked if I’d share my journey at All Together Now Festival in August. I agreed, not realising it would lead to me singing — for the very first time — in front of a packed tent. It was beyond terrifying. I was so nervous that I kept my eyes shut the entire time. But when the song ended and the crowd rose, emotion hit me like a wave. In that moment, I realised just how much this decision to step into sean-nós singing had already enriched my life.
Ní raibh an cúrsa críochnaithe agam fiú nuair a iarradh orm mo scéal a roinnt ag Féile All Together Now i mí Lúnasa. D’aontaigh mé, gan a bheith ag súil le canadh i bpuball a bhí lán go béal. Bhí mé chomh neirbhíseach gur choinnigh mé mo shúile dúnta is mé ag canadh. Ach nuair a chríochnaigh mé agus nuair a thosaigh an bualadh bos, thuig mé go raibh an cleachtas seo i ndiaidh cur go mór le mo shaol cheana féin.
Now, I can’t wait for the day when I can confidently join in with a few tunes at the afters of a wedding or a night in the pub, each performance building my confidence and skills a little more. In fact, I’ve already signed up for my second course with Inni-K, which began just last week. Even after the first class, I feel a newfound ease, and I’m excited to keep adding songs to my repertoire while deepening my connection with the Irish language along the way.
Anois, ní féidir liom fanacht go dtí go mbeidh mé compordach páirt a ghlacadh ag na "afters". Tá mé cláraithe cheana féin don dara cúrsa le h-Inni-K, a thosaigh an tseachtain seo caite. Fiú tar éis an chéad rang, mhothaigh mé níos muiníneach, agus táim ar bís níos mó amhráin a chur le mo stór focal agus an nasc leis an nGaeilge a dhoimhniú tuilleadh.
If you’re searching for a way to connect more meaningfully with your culture or to strengthen your Irish, my advice is this: don’t limit yourself to the classroom. Lessons are invaluable, but there are so many other pathways into language and heritage. Find a hobby that excites you, one that naturally weaves in Irish culture or language, and watch how it changes you. It’s not just about learning words or skills — it’s about understanding yourself, honouring the generations before you, and feeling that living connection to Irish identity in a way that’s both personal and powerful.
Má tá tú féin ag lorg bealaí chun do chuid Gaeilge a chur chun cinn, seo mo chomhairle duit: tá an oiread sin bealaí ann chun nasc a chruthú leis an dteanga agus leis an n-oidhreacht. Aimsigh caitheamh aimsire a thaitníonn leat, agus feicfidh tú an tionchar dearfach atá ann duit. Ní bhaineann sé amhain le gramadach foirfe nó bua na cainte — baineann sé le féin thuiscint, meas a bheith ann dos na glúinte roimhe seo, agus ceangail le féiniúlacht na hÉireann ar bhealach atá pearsanta agus cumhachtach.
