Traditional Irish music (“trad music”) plays a major cultural role across both Laois and Offaly, even though neither county is usually seen as part of Ireland’s best-known “traditional music strongholds” like some other counties. However, across Laois and Offlay trad music is important because it connects communities to local history, language, storytelling, and social life.

For this reason, the Laois and Offaly Local Creative Youth Partnership (LO LCYP) is delighted to partner with Tullamore Tradfest and Portlaoise Tradfest, to support and encourage young people’s participation in traditional Irish music and culture.

Helping to inspire the next generation of musicians

Both festivals are weekend events that continue to place a growing emphasis on developing their youth programmes, encouraging children and young people to play a more active role in shaping these creative music initiatives.

More than 300 young people, aged between 6 years and 24 years, came together to participate in masterclasses, inclusive workshops, music sessions, Gaeltacht sessions, and the Battle of the Trad Bands. These events highlighted the importance of traditional music in bringing communities together, encouraging creativity, and helping to inspire the next generation of musicians.

Performing at these festivals gives young musicians a strong sense of achievement and pride in their talents and traditions.  Through workshops, sessions and performances, young people build confidence, improve their musical abilities and develop valuable communication and teamwork skills through creativity.

Youth voice is core and central to the work where young people get to say what they want to take part in and what options should be available to others. Workshops, performances, collaborations, and intergenerational learning create spaces where young people can connect with local traditions, learn from experienced musicians, and share their own voices through music.

Increasing Access and Participation

Funding through the Laois and Offaly Local Creative Youth Partnership helps make creative opportunities more accessible and inclusive for children and young people from different backgrounds and communities. By reducing barriers to participation such as cost and supporting high-quality creative experiences, the partnership ensures that more young people can engage with the arts in meaningful ways.

This helps ensure that Irish traditional music across Laois and Offaly remains a vibrant and inclusive part of young people’s creative and cultural lives. By supporting access, participation, learning, and performance opportunities for all young people, including those who may not otherwise have the chance to take part.

This work enhances and complements the supports already provided by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, Music Generation Laois, and Music Generation Offaly, strengthening opportunities for young musicians across both counties to learn, perform, and connect through traditional music.

Creating Valuable Opportunities

The support and funding provided by the Laois and Offaly Local Creative Youth Partnership (LO LCYP) to the youth sections of the Tullamore Tradfest and Portlaoise Tradfest brings significant benefits to young people, families, and the wider community across Laois and Offaly.

These traditional festivals create valuable opportunities for these young musicians to perform, learn, and collaborate in a supportive and professional environment. Participation in these workshops, sessions, and performances helps young people build confidence, improve musical ability, and develop communication and teamwork skills. Performing at these festivals also gives young musicians a sense of achievement and pride in their talents and traditions.

Laois and Offaly Local Creative Youth Partnership support all creative and cultural activities across multiple fields and believes in forging new partnerships and relationships with the local creative sector, non-formal education sector and youth services