This project celebrates the musical legacy of Pete and Pat McKenna of Truagh, Co. Monaghan. Pat and Pete were bachelor brothers, postman and farmer and renowned fiddle players, singers and storytellers. From the 1920s until the early 2000s, they played at céilís,house dances, weddings and on radio broadcasts, helping sustain the rich musical traditions of their locality. Pat’s music reached a wider audience through an RTÉ recording made in his home in 1988.

Over the past two years, Eugene McKenna has carried out extensive archival research, collecting and digitising original cassette recordings, radio broadcasts, photographs, handwritten diaries dating from the 1940s, and local newspaper clippings. This work has uncovered a previously undocumented repertoire, including a locally composed hunting song from the 1950s, offering a rare insight into Monaghan’s folklore and musical heritage.

The project will produce a professionally filmed short video series featuring Pete and Pat’s grandnieces and nephews. They will perform and reinterpret the brothers’ music and songs. The recordings will combine live performances with original archive audio and local memories. Together, these elements will connect past and present, bringing this important musical heritage to new audiences.

Please note that the details of events listed above are provided by the relevant Local Authorities.