Iconic setting gives voice to women of Irish music

Kylemore Abbey, set in the heart of rugged Connemara, forms the stunning backdrop for 'Ceol ó Kylemore: A Celebration of the Women of Irish Music' to be broadcast on Irish channel TG4 on 31 January, the eve of St Brigid's Day.

The 1 February feast day of the first female patron saint of Ireland is when the Irish traditionally mark the end of the long dark winter and embrace the returning of the light. 

More than any other, this year’s St Brigid's Day is being especially welcomed, and ‘Ceol ó Kylemore’ will provide the perfect musical celebration for the beginning of spring and the hopes of brighter days ahead. 

The hour-long production was recorded at the end of 2020 and features some of Ireland's best-known female traditional musicians and singers, including the first lady of traditional Irish music Moya Brennan of Clannad fame.

She will be joined by Mary Bergin, one of the great masters of the tin whistle, alongside leading traditional harper, Laoise Kelly, and one of the world's best accordion players, Josephine Marsh. On cello will be TG4 Young Musician of the Year, Sharon Howley. 

Also featuring in the show are singers Cathy Jordan, Pauline Scanlon with Nicola Joyce, Noriana Kennedy of The Whileaways and up-and-coming star Sibéal, who specialises in the centuries-old Irish style of sean-nós singing.

Presented by traditional singer and harper, Síle Denvir, ‘Ceol ó Kylemore’ will also include a specially commissioned composition from Josephine Marsh, with Liz and Yvonne Kane on fiddles, as well as a spectacular ensemble finale featuring the full cast of the programme. 

Set against the raw and elemental scenery of Connemara, where the Irish language and traditional culture are well preserved, Kylemore Abbey is the ideal location to celebrate Brigid, Christian saint and Celtic goddess, who remains a strong role model for independent women everywhere.

Originally built as a baronial-style castle in 1867, Kylemore is nestled under a dramatic mountain-scape and fronted by a large lake. With a picture-book appearance that is almost unbelievable, it is one of the most memorable sights of Ireland’s famous Wild Atlantic Way. 

The castle was once a grand family home, before becoming a refuge and an abbey for a community of Benedictine nuns fleeing the ravages of WW I in Europe. Still their home today, it is a haven of escape and a centre of learning that nurtures many facets of Irish cultural life. 

From the love story that started it all, to engineering initiatives, model farms and royal visits, Kylemore is steeped in history and heritage and offers much to experience and explore – including the abbey, a gothic church, Victorian walled gardens, craft shop, pottery studio, restaurant, tea rooms and a series of nature trails and lake and woodland walks.

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