Archiving continues but World Fiddle Day cancelled
THERE will be no World Fiddle Day celebrations in Scartaglin this May as the decision to cancel.
Unlike other festivals, World Fiddle Day occurs on the third Saturday in May or the Saturday nearest to May 19 worldwide and to entertain the idea of rescheduling would be against the spirit of the event.
Scartaglin was going to be visited by many International visitors and messages have arrived from Canada, New York, Japan and the Netherlands with news of cancelled flights and promises to visit in 2021.
However, all is not lost as a body of work being completed which will keep Sliabh Luachra music followers occupied and quiet for hours and hours during their isolation.
“The Arts Council of Ireland is supporting our application for funding to finish the ‘Handed Down’ Sliabh Luachra Archive and work which was subcontracted out since January 2020 is completed and being uploaded at a great rate,” said founder member, P.J. Teahan.
“Cross border cooperation between Eoin Stan and Raymond
O’Sullivan of Scullysfest in Newmarket; The Maine Valley Post; Paul De Grae and P.J.Teahan has seen the completion of over 250 written biographies and photographs added to the archive.
“Castleisland website designer, Richard Nolan of Clounagh has added his touch and made everything look well and user friendly.
Another Castleisland man, media expert and filmmaker Shaun O’Connor has been digitising hours and hours of cassette and old rare audio and adding them to the website and Soundcloud.
P.J. Teahan is confident that a dream which started years ago and which Kerry County Library and the Kerry County Arts Office under Arts Officer Kate Kennelly fully supported, will soon be ready.
P.J. wishes to acknowledge Matt Cranitch for his help with the Arts Council of Ireland application.
As well as housing individual donations from the public, the archive holds three private collections: Patrick Slattery from the UK donated his audio collection recorded in this locality from 1974 to 1977; Fiddler, Denis Murphy’s own reel to reel tapes were discovered at his home in Lisheen and donated by Michael Sheehan.
And P.J, Teahan’s own collection which includes rare pieces from the 1940s to present day make up the collection – for now.