Culture Night: Ceol Ársa Cláirsí
2026-09-18 20:00 - 22:00 (Europe/Dublin) | The Courthouse Arts Centre, Dwyer Square, Tinahely, Leinster, Y14 X099, Ireland
A Celebration of Irish Harp Music from the 17th & 18th Centuries
Step into the rich and atmospheric world of early Irish harpers’ music with Ceol Ársa Cláirsí, a musical experience that brings the unique sound of the 17th and 18th centuries vividly to life. This performance showcases the music of legendary harper-composers such as Turlough Carolan, Thomas Connellan, and Ruairí Dall Ó Catháin, taken from original Irish and Scottish sources.
Featuring a remarkable ensemble of leading musicians – Cormac Breatnach, Steve Cooney, Aisling Ennis, Malachy Robinson, and Eamon Sweeney – the programme showcases the distinctive textures of gut-strung and wire-strung instruments alongside traditional instrumentation, anchored by the unmistakable voice of the modern Irish harp.
With a sound described by audiences as “unique and mesmerising,” Ceol Ársa Cláirsí offers a rare opportunity to experience Ireland’s harp tradition, and how it has permeated the repertoire, through a historically-informed and immersive performance.
Date: Friday 18th September, Culture Night
Time: 8pm (doors 7:30pm)
Venue: The Courthouse Arts Centre, Dwyer Square, Tinahely, County Wicklow, Y14 X099

Harp Sessions at The Sugar Club | Tríona Marshall, Ályth McCormack & Graham Henderson
2026-09-24 20:00 - 22:00 | The Sugar Club, 8 Leeson Street Lower, Dublin, D02 ET97, Ireland
Harp Sessions at the Sugar Club brings Irish harper Tríona Marshall and Scottish singer Ályth McCormack together in a performance that draws from the deep well of Gaelic song and the Irish harp tradition. Ályth, raised on the Isle of Lewis in the Scottish Outer Hebrides, is one of the foremost interpreters of Gaelic song and a long-standing featured singer with The Chieftains. Tríona, also an established musician with the Chieftains, is a celebrated figure in the Irish harp world today.
These two musicians share a deep and enduring artistic connection. The late Paddy Moloney of The Chieftains wrote of their work together: “From the heartland of Ireland to the shores of the Island of Lewis, Tríona Marshall and Ályth McCormack have created a beautiful blend of harp music and song — showing how closely related our music and songs are.” Irish Music Magazine called their collaboration “a delicious musical adventure,” and the Ireland Journal “a musical match made in Heaven.”
Joining them is Graham Henderson – multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer, and a long-established presence on the Irish and international music scenes, whose collaborators have included Sinéad O’Connor, Eddi Reader and Iarla Ó Lionáird.
This meeting of three remarkable musicians, forged in the crucible of their new album –Time to Leave the Darkness, promises a rare and memorable evening, rich in evocative soundscapes, moving through Scotland’s deep vocal tradition to the finest output of songwriting today. All bound together by arrangements that honour their roots while humming with a quietly thrilling contemporary grace.
Date: Thursday 24th September
Time: 8pm (doors 7:30pm)
Venue: The Sugar Club, 8 Leeson Street Lower, Dublin 2, D02 ET97
Tickets: Book here.
