Harp Ireland

The Sugar Club Harp Sessions | Catriona McKay and Chris Stout
2025-11-15 20:00 - 22:00 (Europe/Dublin) | The Sugar Club, 8 Leeson Street Lower, Dublin, D02 ET97, Ireland
Our Sugar Club Harp Sessions concert on Saturday 15th November features Catriona McKay and Chris Stout.

Join us on Saturday, 15th November at The Sugar Club for an unforgettable night of bold, boundary-breaking music with Catriona McKay (Scottish harp) and Chris Stout (fiddle).
Rooted in Scottish tradition and driven by fearless creativity, this world-class duo crafts a sound that’s emotional, dynamic, and wholly their own. A stunning blend of tradition and innovation.
This is a rare chance to experience two master musicians in an intimate setting, as part of our series celebrating the most exciting voices in harping today.
Venue: The Sugar Club, 8 Leeson Street Lower, Dublin 2, D02 ET97
Date: Saturday 15 November
Doors 7:30pm, Concert 8pm
Tickets at www.eventbrite.ie/

Sonóir : Celebrating Harps
2025-11-30 17:00 - 20:00 | The Whyte Recital Hall, 36-38 Westland Row, Dublin, D02 WY89
This stellar event brings together some of Ireland’s finest harpers and musicians for an unforgettable evening of music. We are thrilled to present the world premiere of Sonóir, Cruit Éireann|Harp Ireland’s commission composed by Mel Mercier, performed by harpers Alannah Thornburgh and Niamh O’Brien, bassoonist Sinéad Frost and Malachy Robinson (Viola da Gamba) with Mel Mercier (percussion). The evening also features performances by Ireland’s foremost harp duo Cormac De Barra and Anne-Marie O’Farrell, newly-commissioned work by acclaimed harper-composer Michael Rooney performed by the 20-strong Harp Ireland Ensemble and performances from Biird founder Lisa Canny (harp), Laura Doherty (fiddle), Tod Doyle (drums) and Niall Hughes (guitar and bass).
Date: Sunday 30 November 2025
Time: 5pm
Venue: The Whyte Recital Hall, RIAM
Tickets: https://www.riam.ie/whats-on/sonoir

Music on the Farm Concerts - Maria Matthews (soprano) and Fiona Gryson (harp)
2025-12-07 15:00 | Cornstown House Farm, Cornstown, Ashbourne, Meath, A84 N512
Maria Matthews (soprano) and Fiona Gryson (harp)
Maria Matthews is an Irish soprano and honours graduate of the TU Dublin Conservatoire of Music and Drama. She also holds a Master of Music from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Maria performs regularly with Irish National Opera as chorus member, most recently in their productions of Gounod’s Faust and Puccini’s La bohème. In opera scenes Maria has portrayed roles including: Mimi (La bohème), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), Countess Almaviva (Le Nozze di Figaro) and Ellen Orford (Peter Grimes).
Maria took part in the 2021 “Raise Our Voices” and the 2023 “Celebrating the Voice” concert series, both curated by Irish Mezzo Soprano Tara Erraught. In 2021 she was the winner of the Birr Lyons Vocal Bursary in conjunction with the Trench Award, and in 2023 Maria was a Camerata Ireland Young Artist and a Voice Fellow at Opernfest Prague where she had the opportunity to sing with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra in Smetana Hall.
Fiona Gryson enjoys a varied career as a professional, freelance harpist and teacher. A thoughtful and consummate curator, Fiona is a member of the Advisory Group for Cruit Éireann | Harp Ireland, director of the Fingal Harp Ensemble and co-director of the TU Dublin Conservatoire Harp Ensemble with Rachel Duffy and Clíona Doris. Fiona is in demand as a teacher of both Irish lever harp and concert pedal harp, running a private harp studio in Co. Dublin. A recipient of a Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship awarded by Research Ireland, Fiona Gryson is pursuing PhD research with Prof. Clíona Doris and Dr. Helen Lawlor at TU Dublin Conservatoire. With clarinettist Berginald Rash, Fiona recently released their début album of clarinet and harp transcriptions entitled ‘Dathanna: Hues and Shades’ under the Orchid label. She has performed as Principal Harpist with the RTÉ National Symphony and Concert Orchestras, the Irish Chamber and the Ulster Orchestras. As a soloist and member of ensembles, she has performed extensively nationally and internationally, both live and on television and radio. With Rachel Duffy, she is delighted to co-direct Cairde na Cruite’s An Chúirt Chruitireachta International Harp Festival 2025.

Féile na Tána 2026 – Festival Launch Concert
2026-01-25 20:00 - 22:30 | Carlingford Heritage Centre, Church Road, Carlingford, Co. Louth, Ireland
Seoladh na Féile / Festival Launch Concert
Featuring Liam O Maonlaí, Vincent Woods and the Cruit Éireann|Harp Ireland All-Island Ensemble. The ensemble, led by harper Síofra Ní Dhubhghaill, presents Anáil Ársa na Seanmhaoine, a re-imagining of music of the ancient harpers from the Bunting & Neal Collections by the acclaimed harper-composer Michael Rooney.
Venue: Carlingford Heritage Centre
Date: Monday, 25th January, 6pm
Admission: €15 / U18s tickets €10
Ticket: Book Here

Féile na Tána Commission Concert
2026-01-30 20:00 | Carlingford Heritage Centre, Church Road, Carlingford, Co. Louth, Ireland
Ceolchoirm Coimisiúin Féile na Tána | Féile na Tána Commission Concert
Comh-léirithe ag Cruit Éireann agus Féile na Tána | Jointly-presented by Cruit Éireann|Harp Ireland & Féile na Tána
World premiere of a new work for four Irish harps by Bill Whelan.
Featuring harpers Aisling Lyons, Cormac de Barra, Gráinne Meyer & Séamus Ó Flatharta
Also featuring a duo performances by Caoimhe and Séamus Ó Flatharta and  Zoë Conway and John McIntyre.
Venue: Carlingford Heritage Centre
Date: Friday 30th January, 8pm
Admission: €15 / U18s ticket €10
Tickets: Book Here

Janet Harbison's Adult only Harp Weeks
2026-05-31 - 2026-06-06 | Dungloe, Co. Donegal, Dungloe, Co. Donegal, Ireland
The Adult Only (Residential) week
This course is for players over the age of 18, at all levels and abilities. Held by celebrated veteran Janet Harbison, this course focused on personal development, social playing, fun and friendship located in the town of Dungloe on the magnificent Donegal coast – and at the heart of traditional Irish community. Janet will take your musicianship, confidence, creativity and traditional music understanding to a new level – enabling you to understand how music works and leading you to develop your own tunes and arranging skills. The style of teaching is oral with everyone challenged to a comfortable level. Learning is like language – instilling all the necessary skills, confidence and fluency of a native player – always focused on the core repertoire known to musicians and harpers world-wide. With a maximum of 8 participants, everyone is assured of personal attention with workshops, lectures, concerts and sessions in the evenings, and a great trip out on Wednesday afternoon. There is lots of interaction with local musicians – Join Janet and the community of Dungloe musicians for a week to remember!
Course dates
May 31 – 6 June (Spaces Available)
July 5 – 11 (Limited spaces)
What’s included
• 5 days of Summer School training from 9.30am to 3.30pm (with 9.30am – 12.45pm on Wednesday) with lunches provided (all diets catered to) and all evening concerts, lectures and sessions (with travel where necessary!)
• Accommodation for 6 nights (from Sunday to Saturday) in twin or double ensuite bedrooms in adjacent (and fully equipped) holiday cottages. All bookings are treated as for single occupation, but you are welcome to bring a friend/partner if you wish.
Kitchens are set up with starting breakfast supplies, and all-day teas and coffees.
• A mid-week trip out to Glenveigh National Park, Arranmore Island or Mount Errigal (cost not included).
• For participants booking consecutive weeks, the in-between night’s accommodation is free.
• Harps are available to all (at an extra charge) if you don’t wish to bring your own!
• Pick-ups and drop-offs are arranged free of charge for all travelling by air or bus.
What’s not included:
• Your evening meals. As we have self-catering facilities, you may choose to eat in or out.
On Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings, we book a table at McCafferty’s Pub which is very near us and an excellent pub and restaurant. On Thursday evening, we do a ‘pot luck’ at home where all who wish can contribute to a communal evening.
• The optional Wednesday afternoon trip out to Arranmore or to Glenveigh Castle in the Glenveigh National Park. Either trip costs €30 (including bus/ferry/entrance costs).
• The Wednesday evening concert in Dungloe’s community centre (featuring all local musicians, singers and dancers) where a ‘contribution’ to cover the interval refreshments is requested (€5 expected)
Course price (includes course, concerts etc, lunches and arrival night dinner): €900
Accommodation (6 nights) Twin or Double bedroom en suite and starting breakfast supplies: €490
Harp Hire (at the venue during classes and practice periods, and elsewhere by special arrangement): €80
‘Plus ones’ (friends/partners): €300

Janet Harbison Harp Teacher Course
2026-07-11 - 2026-07-18 | Dungloe, Co. Donegal, Dungloe, Co. Donegal, Ireland
Janet Harbison’s Donegal Harp Summer School
Teacher’s Week: Residential and Non-Residential
This course starts on Sunday morning at 11 am July 12th. Arrive Saturday evening (July 11th) or before 11am on Sunday morning (July 12th). This course runs alongside the Dungloe Open Harp Week:
What’s included
• 14 hours of Teacher Training, 10 hours of Teaching Practise with inclusion in the regular summer-school classes
• Training materials and sample books
• All evening activities, concerts, lectures, sessions
• Lunches (for all dietary options) and supper on Sunday evening (July 13). All other evenings we eat out or cook in (this cost not included)
• An optional mid-week trip out to Glenveigh National Park, Arranmore Island or Mount Errigal. (Extra cost: €30)
• 7 days of accommodation (from Saturday to Saturday) in twin or double ensuite bedrooms in homely, fully equipped adjacent holiday cottages. Kitchens are set up with breakfast supplies, and all-day teas and coffees. (For participants taking 2 consecutive weeks, the in-between night is free)
Course Price (Per person): €1,100
Accommodation (6 nights) Twin or Double bedroom en suite and starting breakfast supplies: €490
Harp Hire (at the venue during classes and practice periods, and elsewhere by special arrangement): €80
Find out more: JanetHarbisonHarp.com
