Harp Ireland

Reverb by Luail, featuring Lisa Canny
2025-09-11 00:00 - 2025-10-05 00:00 (Europe/Dublin) | Multiple Locations
Movement and melody collide in an electrifying celebration of legacy, live music, and movement by choreographer Sarah Golding with music by multi-instrumentalist Lisa Canny. This high-energy performance combines powerful physicality with spellbinding vocals and composition, exploring the ways in which our actions ripple through time and leave their mark.
With Canny’s signature mix of traditional and modern sounds driving the dancers, every beat tells a powerful story, blending past and present in a raw, emotional experience. Get ready for a performance where rhythm lives, tradition breathes, and every moment and movement resonates.
Choreography: Sarah Golding
Cast: Luail Company Dancers
Composer: Lisa Canny
Musicians: Josh Sampson, Laura Doherty & Lisa Canny
Stage Design: Katie Davenport
Lighting Design: Ciaran Bagnall
Costume Design: Laura Fajardo Castro

TOUR DATES

11th September 2025 – Civic Theatre, Tallaght

12th September 2025 – Civic Theatre, Tallaght

17th September 2025 – The Market Place Theatre & Arts Centre, Armagh

19th September 2025 – An Táin Arts Centre, Dundalk

22nd September 2025 – Backstage Theatre, Longford

24th September 2025 – Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge

30th September 2025 – Hawk’s Well Theatre, Sligo

02nd October 2025 – The Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar

10th October 2025 – Lime Tree Theatre, Limerick Presented by Bualadh Bos Children’s Festival

Irish Harping: Heritage and Hereafter ICTMD Harp Symposium
2025-09-25 | University of Galway, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
Join us on Thursday, 25 September, at University of Galway, Ireland.
This symposium is a collaboration between Harp Ireland, the International Council for Traditions of Music & Dance (ICTMD) Ireland and the School for English, Media & Creative Arts, University of Galway. Keynote speaker Professor Ann Buckley (Trinity College Dublin).
Programme available here.

Harps in Castles - Kathleen Loughnane, Catriona Cannon, Cormac Cannon and Máirín Ní Dhonnchadha
2025-09-25 19:30 - 21:30 | Claregalway Castle, Claregalway, Galway, H91 E9T3, Ireland
Rooted in the living traditions of Irish music and poetry, this special evening brings together some of Ireland’s most respected voices and musicians.
Kathleen Loughnane is celebrated for her evocative arrangements of traditional Irish music and her pioneering research into historic Irish harper composers. A founding member of Dordán, she has toured internationally and released six acclaimed albums.
Catriona Cannon, harper and archivist, blends her classical training with a wide range of influences, having toured Europe with reggae band Intinn and collaborated across genres.
Cormac Cannon, uilleann piper and whistle player, carries forward the piping traditions of the West with soulful ornamentation, rhythmic lift, and a deep reverence for the old style.
Adding a powerful voice of scholarship and poetry, Máirín Ní Dhonnchadha, Poet and Professor of Old and Middle Irish and Celtic Philology at NUI Galway, will recite on the night.
Together, they weave music, words, and history into an evening that honours Ireland’s cultural roots. This promises to be a night not to be missed.

Celebrating the Early Harp with Maria Cleary and Tara Viscardi
2025-09-27 19:30 - 21:30 | Saint Mary’s Cathedral Limerick
Join us for an unforgettable evening of harp music in the historic surroundings of St. Mary’s Cathedral, featuring two exceptional harp players, Maria Christina Cleary and Tara Viscardi, in a celebration of early harp music from the European and Irish traditions.
Dublin born Maria Christina Cleary is a world-renowned pioneer of period harp performance, praised for her virtuosity, improvisation, and basso continuo artistry. With a career spanning international solo appearances and collaborations with leading early music ensembles, Maria brings centuries-old harp traditions vividly to life.
Tara Viscardi, hailing from the Beara Peninsula, is an award-winning harper whose performances combine Irish traditional, classical, and baroque influences. A 2024 UK Harp Association Emerging Artist, she has played on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, from Wigmore Hall to the World Harp Congress.
Across the evening, Maria and Tara will each perform a selection from the repertoire of the early harp, offering audiences a rare chance to experience the early harp’s expressive range in the soaring acoustics of the stunning St. Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick.
Date: Saturday 27th September
Time: 7:30pm
Venue: St. Mary’s Cathedral, Bridge Street, Limerick, Ireland, V94 E068

Music on the Farm Concerts - Les Masques: Jacqueline Cordova-Arrington (flute), Arnaud Ghillebaert (viola), Rosanna Moore (harp)
2025-10-05 15:00 | Cornstown House Farm, Cornstown, Ashbourne, Meath, A84 N512
Les Masques: Jacqueline Cordova-Arrington (flute), Arnaud Ghillebaert (viola), Rosanna Moore (harp)
Internationally-renowned trio, Les Masques have prepared an exciting and uplifting programme of classical music for flute, viola and harp. Not to be missed.
Our concert series features performances of classical, traditional and jazz music in a unique, old world setting. Each concert features talented musicians who bring their unique sounds and styles to our stage. From classical to trad and lots in between, the ‘Music on the Farm’ series offers a diverse line-up that showcases each musician’s individual style and skill. They have performed for presidents and kings and now perform for you!
Set against the background of a diverse farm in the country, these concerts are a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Our barn, now known as ‘The Long House’, once a bustling hub of farm activity, has been lovingly transformed into a quaint and inviting space that retains its original character and charm. Why not come and say hello to the menagerie of friendly alpacas and their friends after the concert and enjoy a stroll in nature around the farm?
Join us at “Music on the Farm” and let the music of internationally acclaimed musicians transport you to a world where you can relax and unwind and live in the moment. It’s an afternoon of music, community, and celebration that you won’t want to miss. We look forward to sharing this magical experience with you.

Music in Calary – Triona and Thomas Charles Marshall
2025-10-10 20:00 - 22:00 | Calary Church, Calary Church, Wicklow
Music in Calary is delighted to welcome back famous Irish harpist Triona Marshall together with her brother, Thomas Charles Marshall who plays the Satsuma Biwa and performs traditional Japanese singing. They will play a concert in Calary Church at 8 pm on Friday 10 October.
Triona and Thomas have been invited to perform at the opening of the new Irish Embassy in Tokyo and their programme will be a tribute to the life of Lafcadio Hearn, the Irish writer who spent the latter part of his life in Japan,
As usual, the concert will begin at 8 pm with free parking available. If you would like to book tickets or for further information, please email derekneilson11@gmail,com or phone (01) 2818118. Tickets for the concert are €18 and €15 for concessions and may be paid for by cash, cheque or card at the door. Music in Calary would like to thank Wicklow County Council for their support in enabling us to put on this concert.
Date: Friday 10 October
Time: 8pm
Venue: Calary Church, Calary Upper, Kilmacanoge, Co. Wicklow
Tickets: €18/€15 derekneilson11@gmail,com or phone (01) 2818118

Lá na Cruite|Harp Day: Amhráin, Cláirseach agus Dánta
2025-10-11 15:30 - 17:00 | Greystones Library, Mill Road, Greystones, Co. Wicklow, A63 KN52, Ireland
Join local Greystones musician and multi-award winning sean-nós singer and harpist Eibhlís Ní Ríordáin for a wonderful free afternoon concert of harpers’ songs, traditional Irish songs, music and poetry in Greystones Library on Saturday 11th October from 3.30-4.30pm. Following on from her very well-received concerts at Greystones library on Culture Night in 2023 and Harp Day in 2024, Eibhlís has been invited back again to the library to give a concert as part of Ireland’s National Harp Day celebrations (Harp Day itself takes place on 18th October).
Eibhlís, whose performance has been described as “the purest of the pure drop”, will accompany her singing of some of the songs, including songs by Turlough O’Carolan and other harper – composers of the 17th and 18th centuries, on the cláirseach (early Irish brass-wire strung harp). She will also sing, unaccompanied, some of the beautiful, traditional Irish ‘sean-nós’ songs from Munster, from where she originally hails. The audience will be encouraged to sing along in many of the songs (song lyrics and translations will be provided in the programme notes). The songs will also be interspersed with some atmospheric poetry by Irish poets (English and Irish language).
About Eibhlís:
Eibhlís researches and sings the Déise (east Munster) sean-nós song repertory. Uniquely, she also researches, reconstructs and performs the much-neglected, and seminal, 17th- and 18th-century harpers’ song repertory to her own early Irish harp accompaniment, on her replica old Irish harp. Her harp, made for her this year by harp maker Kevin Harrington, is a beautiful copy of the early 18th century County Wicklow harp, the ‘Hollybrook Harp’, which is now held at the National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks, Dublin.
Recent concerts by Eibhlís include: Scoil na gCláirseach solo concert ‘Tobar an Dúchais’ in July ’24; Scoil na gCláirseach Gala Concert ‘Masters of Irish Music’ at Kilkenny Castle in July ‘23; Harp Ireland’s National Harp Day Concert, Liberty Hall, Dublin in October 2022. She has also performed for the President at Áras on Uachtaráin on a number of occasions. Earlier this year Eibhlís sang in a performance of the renowned composer Benjamin Dwyer’s ‘SacrumProfanum’ in the London Irish Centre. She also features on the RTE documentary ‘Trinity’s Treasures’, airing later this year. Also a highly experienced music educator, Eibhlís (MA (Hons 1), B.Mus, LTCL), regularly tutors in harp and voice for the Historical Harp Society of Ireland, at Scoil na gCláirseach (Festival of Early Irish Harp) and Acadamh na gCláirseach (Academy of Early Irish Harp Online). She facilitates (early Irish) harp workshops and gives talks about the early Irish harp nationally, for the Historical Harp Society of Ireland and for Harp Ireland / Cruit Éireann. She also teaches classical piano at her home in Greystones, Co. Wicklow.
Her sean-nós song and harp-song CD, ‘An Buachaillín Bán’, has been described as “one of the top trad albums of the last year”

Lá na Cruite|Harp Day: Harpers in the Honan
2025-10-14 19:30 - 21:30 | Honan Chapel, UCC, College Road, Cork, Co. Cork, T12 VH32, Ireland
UCC TradSoc, in collaboration with Harp Ireland|Cruit Éireann is delighted to announce the return of our “Harpers in the Honan” concert, on Tuesday the 14th of October at 7.30pm. This year features the harp/box duo of Oisín Morrison & Tommie Cunniffe, alongside harper and vocalist Aisling Urwin.
Date: 14th October 2025
Time: 7:30pm
Venue: Honan Chapel, Ireland, T12 VH32
Tickets: Reserve your seat here

Lá na Cruite|Harp Day: Causeway Harp School and Hampsey Harp School
2025-10-18 10:00 - 13:00 | Garvagh Community Building, Garvagh Community Building, 85 Main Street, Garvagh, BT51 5AB, BT51 5AB, Ireland
Join Causeway Harp School and Hamsey Harp School in their celebration of Lá na Cruite|Harp Day 2025 for a day of workshops for all levels, followed by performances in The Pantry at Garvagh Community Buildings. Booking is essential.
Venue: Garvagh Community Building, 85 Main Street, Garvagh, BT51 5AB
Date: 18th October 2025
Time: 10am
Booking: Contact Claire 07810204976 or Katy 07400991270

Lá na Cruite|Harp Day: Aisling Lyons in glór Ennis
2025-10-18 14:30 - 15:30 | Glór, Ennis, Co Clare, Ennis, Co Clare, Ireland
Aisling Lyons, multi-award winning musician and composer from County Clare 2.30pm in the foyer of glór theatre, Ennis. Aisling has been described as one of traditional music’s finest musicians by Hot Press magazine, and the finest Irish harper at work today by Songlines magazine after the release of her debut album Aistear.
Date: 18th October 2025
Time: 2:30pm
Venue: glór, Causeway Link, Clonroad Beg, Ennis, Co. Clare, V95 VHP0
Tickets: Free Admission

Lá na Cruite|Harp Day: Michael Rooney & June McCormack, Music Generation Louth Harp Ensemble, Rachael Dooley
2025-10-18 20:00 - 22:00 | Oriel Centre, Oriel Centre Dundalk Gaol, Carrickmacross Rd, Dundalk, Co. Louth, Ireland A91 HD70, Dundalk, Ireland
Cruit Éireann|Harp Ireland and Music Generation Louth present an evening of harping to celebrate Lá na Cruite, Harp Day 2025 on Saturday October 18th.
Returning to The Oriel Centre Dundalk Gaol are Monaghan composer Michael Rooney and flute player June McCormack. They will be joined by the Music Generation Louth Harp Ensemble and solo harper Rachael Dooley.
This event is supported by the Louth County arts office at Louth County Council.[/caption]
Date: 18th October 2025
Time: 8pm
Venue: Oriel Centre Dundalk Gaol, Carrickmacross Rd, Dundalk, Co. Louth, Ireland A91 HD70
Ticket Link: Oriel Centre Website

Lá na Cruite|Harp Day: Ed Reavy Traditional Music Festival 2025 Concert
2025-10-18 20:00 - 22:30 | Townhall Arts Centre, Townhall Arts Centre, Townhall, Cavan, H12 WV82, Cavan, H12 WV82, Ireland
Harpers Lauren Ní Néill, Colm McGonigle and Sabina McCague and the Music Generation Cavan/Monaghan Harp Ensemble play support at the Ed Reavy Traditional Music Festival Saturday night concert featuring Ryan Sheridan (Button Accordion, Bodhrán, Sean Nós dancer), Andrew Caden (Fiddle), Conor McDonagh (Flute) and Conor Connolly (Piano, Button Accordion and Singing).
Date: 18th October 2025
Time: 8pm
Venue: Townhall Arts Centre, Townhall, Cavan, H12 WV82
Tickets: Available on Townhall Arts Centre Website Here

Lá na Cruite|Harp Day: Síle Denvir & Barry Kerr
2025-10-18 20:30 - 22:30 | Glór, Ennis, Co Clare, Ennis, Co Clare, Ireland
glór are delighted to welcome Síle Denvir & Barry Kerr. TG4 Gradam Ceoil Amhránaí na Bliana (Singer of the Year) 2023, Síle Denvir is a sean-nós singer and harper from Connemara who has performed with The Chieftains and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra. Barry Kerr, from County Armagh and now based in Connemara, is a multi-instrumentalist, singer and composer whose work has been performed worldwide. Together, they combine voice, harp, pipes, flute and original compositions rooted in Irish tradition.
Date: 18th October 2025
Time: 8:30pm
Venue: glór, Causeway Link, Clonroad Beg, Ennis, Co. Clare, V95 VHP0
Tickets: Available on glór website here

Lá na Cruite|Harp Day: New Connections Harp Concert
2025-10-19 19:00 - 21:30 | Friar’s Gate Theatre, Friar's Gate Theatre, Kilmallock, Limerick, V35 VY92, Ireland
Sunday 19th October 7pm
The ‘New Connections Harp Concert’ is a presentation of newly composed music written by Dr Fiana Ní Chonaill in collaboration with Gráinne Fitzgibbon and Nora Casey. Inspired by their backgrounds and connection with Limerick they have come together to explore their musical creativity and are proud to debut the finished performance as part of Harp Day 2025. This will be performed by the ‘New Connections Harp Collectiveiverse harping backgrounds for the premiere of this music.
This is generously supported by Limerick Arts Office and Limerick City & County Council through the Dolores O’Riordan Music Bursary as well as by Music Generation Limerick County and Harp Ireland.
Tickets €20 including fee
Date: 19th October 2025
Time: 7:30pm
Venue: Sarsfield Street, Kilmallock, Co. Limerick. V35 VY92
Ticket Link: Friar’s Gate Website

Music on the Farm Concerts - Alannah Thornburgh (harp)
2025-11-02 15:00 | Cornstown House Farm, Cornstown, Ashbourne, Meath, A84 N512
Alannah Thornburgh (harp)
Alannah Thornburgh is an award-winning instrumentalist and composer from the wild west of Ireland with a focus on traditional Irish harp. Alannah’s music explores her family heritage, reimagining melodies from the Irish harping and American folk & jazz traditions. This cross-genre interaction and juxtaposition of old melodies with contemporary harmonies and technique is interwoven throughout her music, described as being ‘unforced, fluid and utterly at home in her own sound’ (The Irish Times). In February 2025, Alannah released her debut album ‘Shapeshifter’ – a collection of compositions inspired by fairy folklore & mythology in rural Ireland, specifically her native Co. Mayo (“Sublime debut from Mayo composer” 9/10 – Hot Press).
Alannah is nominated for two awards in the 2025 RTÉ Folk Awards – ‘Best Folk Instrumentalist’ and ‘Best Original Folk Track’ for her composition on the shapeshifting quality of the hare – ‘Chasing the Hare’. She featured on an RTÉ 1 Documentary ‘A Note for Nature’ in collaboration with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, performing her interpretation of a Conor Walsh composition ‘One Swallow’. Her compositions have featured on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta podcast series ‘Scéalta’. Alannah is also a recipient of the Arts Council’s Next Generation Award 21/22.
Alannah is a founding member of Alfi, a trio who combine traditional Irish and Appalachian music and song, winners of the 2020 US Embassy Creative Minds Award. Alfi released their debut album ‘Say Old Man’ in July 2023 to great critical acclaim – ‘the album captures the organic, full-bodied spirit of their live shows, as well as the distinctive personalities of the players – and marks Alfi as a vital force in Ireland’s ever-diversifying folk scene’ (Hot Press). Alannah has performed, recorded & collaborated with many artists in the folk & traditional music scene including Anna Mieke, Brían Mac Gloinn (Ye Vagabonds), Lemoncello, Loah, Niamh Bury, Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Brigid Mae Power, Jiggy, David Keenan, Tristan Scroggins, Paddy McKeown, Conor Caldwell, Gareth Quinn Redmond and Varo.
Our concert series features performances of classical, traditional and jazz music in a unique, old world setting. Each concert features talented musicians who bring their unique sounds and styles to our stage. From classical to trad and lots in between, the ‘Music on the Farm’ series offers a diverse line-up that showcases each musician’s individual style and skill. They have performed for presidents and kings and now perform for you!
Set against the background of a diverse farm in the country, these concerts are a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Our barn, now known as ‘The Long House’, once a bustling hub of farm activity, has been lovingly transformed into a quaint and inviting space that retains its original character and charm. Why not come and say hello to the menagerie of friendly alpacas and their friends after the concert and enjoy a stroll in nature around the farm?
Join us at “Music on the Farm” and let the music of internationally acclaimed musicians transport you to a world where you can relax and unwind and live in the moment. It’s an afternoon of music, community, and celebration that you won’t want to miss. We look forward to sharing this magical experience with you.

The Sugar Club Harp Sessions | Catriona McKay and Chris Stout
2025-11-15 20:00 - 22:00 | 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/

Harp Makers Symposium 2025
2025-11-16 11:00 - 16:00 | Irish Institute of Music and Song
Come along to Cruit Éireann|Harp Ireland’s gathering of harp makers on Sunday 16th November 11am-4pm in the Irish Institute of Music and Song, Balbriggan.
Take the opportunity to meet some of our most renowned Irish harp makers, each of them living and making harps here in Ireland.
You will have a chance to learn from expert master craftsmen about the traditions and techniques that go into building our national instrument. You can find out too about how to care for your harp at our Harp Clinic, guided by some of the best harp makers in the world.
Ask all your harp questions at harp makers’ talks, panels and Q&A sessions and compare the sound of different harps at harp pop-up performances, featuring some of our up and coming young players.
Don’t miss out on joining the harp makers, who bring your harp from design to reality, and learn to care for it from the inside out.

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.
