A little slice of Canada in the beautiful South Kerry

NEWFOUNDLAND is sometimes described as the most Irish place outside of Ireland and the Canadian region isn’t without links to South Kerry, as Dessie Cronin of Coiste Forbartha Baile na Sceilge explained to The Kerryman.

Ballinskelligs celebrates those links this week as its Community Centre hosts Irish-Canadian band Cordeen on June 10, a gig that’s arisen from the friendship between artist Des Dillon, a regular visitor to Ballinskelligs, and Benny McCarthy, the driving force behind Cordeen.

“Cordeen is a new collaboration of Irish and Newfoundland traditional music, made up of a quartet of virtuoso accordion players and singers from both sides of the Atlantic,” Mr Cronin told The Kerryman.

“Graham Wells and Billy Sutton from Newfoundland came to Ireland in June 2016 to meet up and record with Conor Moriarty, from Kerry, and Waterford man Benny McCarthy, and the group will release their album just a couple of days before the Ballinskelligs gig.

“The button accordion has been a very popular instrument in the Newfoundland tradition for as long as its been part of Irish traditional music, and their music would remind you very much of Ireland’s southern parts,” he added.

Des Dillon will join Cordeen from 8pm for what will be the only Kerry fixture on the band’s 10-day tour.

To join the action on the day, you can contact the community centre by emailing coistebks@ eircom.net, or by phoning either (066) 947 9111 or (087) 679 2636.

Tickets are set to cost €15 for adults and €10 for the under-16’s group.