Meabh Begley (composer, singer and musician) and Bryan O’Leary (TG4 Ceaoltór Óg na bliana 2014) will engage directly with seven schools in Kerry during the months of September and October. Both are Kerry based composers of music. Their mission will be to teach the students of these schools about the musical heritage of Sliabh Luachra, and this will culminate in a two hour collaborative performance on Friday the 27th of October in St John’s Hall Castleisland, as part of the opening of the Patrick O'Keeffe festival

Meabh Begley will be engaging with Gaelscoil Aogáin in Castleisland. Méabh’s recently composed song ‘Amhrán na nGael’ (song of the Gaels) will be the focus. This is a powerful song which focuses on all that is beautiful about Ireland and the Irish language. Meabh, a talented daughter of the late Seamus Begley, performs regularly on on RTE radio and television. The song has adopted by many Gaelscoileanna as an informal anthem. Meabh’s performance with the students will be recorded for the Festival Archive and made available to the school community.

We consult with Sliabh Luachra Musician in residence Eoin ‘Stan’ O’Sullivan. We will be using local resources and the skills of renowned local artists to work with 7 secondary schools in Kerry. The objective of this project is to stimulate interest in the music of Sliabh Luachra music among the youth by providing them with a platform to perform in a non competitive environment.

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