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Music Generation celebrates St. Patrick’s Festival 2022 through landmark performances nationwide

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The much-anticipated return of live music events is finally here, just in time for what’s tipped to be a spectacular national celebration for St. Patrick’s Festival 2022! Music Generation partnerships across Ireland are of course preparing to take the spotlight this year as they host a number of fantastic performances for music lovers to enjoy this St. Patrick’s Day.

The instruments are well and truly dusted off, the green jumpers are at the ready and our young performers are buzzing to get back on stage next week come rain, hail or shine!

Here’s a taster of just some of the musical extravaganzas taking place in 2022 celebrating Irish music and culture!


Summoning a Harp Revival – Music Generation


Over one hundred young musicians from Music Generation will come together at St. Patrick's Festival Quarter in Collins Barracks from 1pm on Saturday 19th March. Music Generation’s young community of harpers, rappers, classical, folk and traditional musicians unite to mark the premier of new Irish works and celebrate Ireland’s national emblem – The Harp.

Event:
Summoning a Harp Revival
Location:
Mainstage at St Patrick's Festival Quarter, Collins Barracks
Date:
1pm on Saturday 19th March 2022.

Summoning a Harp Revival features The Harp Collective, a cross-county initiative made up of 52 young musicians aged 10 - 17, from Music Generation Mayo, Music Generation Louth and Music Generation Laois. The collective will premier new work from prolific composer Michael Rooney. The young harpers have been preparing for an opportunity to showcase the premier since July 2020 and are thrilled to finally return to rehearsing together ‘in-person’ and perform a new piece for a global audience.

"It’s been stressful to get on top of everything but it’s so much fun when we get together. The final outcome of listening to all your hard work being played is so nice." Grace, Young Musician, Music Generation Louth

The programme will also include arrangements of previous works composed by Michael Rooney, performed by the Laois Trad Orchestra while Music Generation Mayo’s Harp Collective will take audiences on a thrilling journey of unique traditional arrangements.

Nós Nua, Louth’s Youth Folk Orchestra, will perform “Causeway”, a suite of new music from Mohsen Amini. This exciting premier, funded by the Arts Council Young Ensemble Scheme and supported by Oriel Centre, Dundalk Gaol and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann sees over forty young musicians from across Louth, Meath, Monaghan and Armagh join the Scottish concertinist for this special collaboration.

Music Generation Cork City
’s The Kabin will also travel to the capital to dedicate original music to the harp. This unique performance piece was initiated by Harp Ireland for Lá na Cruite, Harp Day 2021. The Kabin’s young rap artists in collaboration with harper Donnchadh MacAodha, will bring their urban, meaningful and ‘pure daycent’ energy to performances of new and traditional Irish music.

Local St Patrick’s Day Events Across the Country

Music Generation Killkenny are in full performance mode for St Patrick’s weekend! On Friday 18th of March, start your day at Try the Pipes in Kilkenny Castle from 11am. Music Generation Kilkenny, in partnership with Na Píobairí Uilleann, are offering free uilleann pipe taster sessions to young people as part of Kilkenny Tradfest 2022.

This is an opportunity not to be missed for any young aspiring pipers to learn from the hugely talented Na Píobairí Uilleann facilitators, Fionntan Byrne from Belfast and Padraig Butler from Kilkenny.

Try the Pipes is open to ages 10 – 18 and uilleann pipes will be made available on the day.
The event is free but ticketed. Tickets available on Eventbrite



Be sure to stop off at 'Banna Óige’ at the Festival Bandstand, Canal Square from 2-3pm on the 18th March. Hear young musicians from the local community hubs performing some well-known classics and contemporary Irish songs from all your favourite Irish artists. This event is completely free and there is no booking required!

View the full programme of events here.

Album Launch
Music Generation Laois
have a jam-packed St Patrick’s week ahead and it all starts on Saturday 12th March at Laois Music Centre, Portlaoise at 5pm with an album launch for piper Joe Byrne. Joe was one of the first participants to come through the Music Generation and Na Píobairí Uilleann partnership programme initiated in 2012. Under the guidance of Gay McKeon, NPU CEO, Joe has become an exceptional piper and teaches regularly with Music Generation Laois, as well as with Music Generation Louth, Music Generation Offaly-Westmeath and Na Píobairí Uilleann.

Hear Joe live at Laois Music Centre in Portlaoise at 5pm on Saturday 12th March.

Joe Byrne, Uilleann Piping from Co Kildare (The Ace and Deuce of Piping #5) is available to purchase on www.pipers.ie.


Open Mic

Budding rock and pop musicians! Don’t miss this Open Mic event taking place in Laois Music Centre, Portlaoise at 7pm Wednesday 16th March. If you’re not ready to take to the mic just yet, come along to listen and support young local musicians and singer-songwriters perform their original music for the first time. This event is part of the Music Generation Laois St Patrick’s Day celebrations 2022.


Street Festival

For the first time ever, Portlaoise will host a 2-day street festival for St Patrick’s Day and young bands and ensembles from Music Generation Laois are excited to be part of the line up! Come along and support these young musicians perform on Thursday 17th March between 2-6pm

Find all the details on their dedicated Facebook page here

Images by Alf Harvey.

Music Generation Roscommon music hub bands Toteum, Bad Neighbours, Nomadz and others have been busy rehearsing and recording ahead of the St Patrick’s Day festivities. Their video performance series will celebrate the best in Irish music and will be premiered live from Chapel Lane Studio - these young musicians will rock out to classics by Thin Lizzy, U2 and the iconic Cranberries to name a few!

Tune in here on the 17th March to catch the performances and see the next generation of rock ‘n roll stars emerge from all corners of county Roscommon!

Junior and teen bands from Music Generation Sligo are gearing up to perform on the Gig Rig in Sligo town on Saturday 19th March as part of the St Patricks Weekend festivities! The Gig Rig is located in Stephen Street Car Park and the talented young musicians will rock the stage from 6-7pm ahead of the headline act, Jake Carter. Check out the full line up here.

Follow the festivities on our social media channels!

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