The Seán Corcoran Series – celebrating the life and work of Louth native Seán Corcoran: Singer, Fieldworker, Documentary Maker and Vernacular Musicologist
8th-10th September 2023
Drogheda, Co. Louth
The Seán Corcoran Series is a 3-day event taking place in Drogheda, 8th – 10th September, which will celebrate the life and outstanding work of Louth native Seán Corcoran, presented by Seán’s daughter Rósa Corcoran, Louth County Council, and Creative Ireland.
Traditional music and song was Seán Corcoran’s life, and his career ranged across performance, broadcasting, film making, academia and field work. His songs will forever be associated with his name and that of Louth; he brought the songs and music of the county to a wide audience in this country and beyond.
The Seán Corcoran Series will bring together, for the first time, all the elements that informed Seán’s life and work. Renowned musicians and singers who counted him as a friend and collaborator will attest to his legacy.
The live series of multi-disciplinary events will feature over 25 musicians, singers, writers, dancers, actors, artists, historians, and makers celebrating the work of Seán, across 5 venues, headlined by two very special concerts:
AN EVENING WITH ANDY IRVINE & DONAL LUNNY
On Friday 8th September, 8pm, The Seán Corcoran Series in association with Droichead Arts Centre present An Evening with Andy Irvine and Dónal Lunny.
The linchpin sound of legendary groups like Sweeney’s Men, Planxty and The Bothy Band – between them Andy Irvine and Dónal Lunny have been at the heart of folk music in Ireland for over five decades. Their unique style of accompaniment endures today as a powerful influence on successive generations of musicians.
Irvine and Lunny will present a programme of Irish music and Andy’s own songs, with a side order of Eastern European tunes. Andy will play Seán’s bouzouki, which was originally presented to Andy by the late Diane Guggenheim – founder of Tradition Records, and later given to Seán. The instrument has been specially restored for the series by luthier Frank Tate, who will also be part of the events over the weekend.
GUTH NA NDAOINE/THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE
The second headline concert, taking place Saturday 9th September, is ‘Guth na nDaoine / The Voice of the People, at St. Peter’s Church. A a joyous salute to the life and work of Seán, celebrating him through words, music, song, and dance with very special guests taking to the stage: Radie Peat (Lankum), Harry Bradley, sean-nós dancer Róisín Ní Mhainín, actor Stephen Rea, writer John Banville, Breda Keville, Jesse Smith, Maighread and Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill, Libby McCrohan, cellist Neil Martin, Gerry O’Connor, and more.
Writer John Banville says, “Seán Corcoran was, and indeed remains, a major figure in Irish culture. As a performer, scholar, and administrator, he did much to preserve and promote our rich heritage of folk music. In the modern electronic age, with so much material so easily available online, the nurturing of a living tradition is all the more vital. In this regard, Seán’s legacy is precious and still vividly present, two years after his death. His daughter, Rósa, carries on the flame, and no one could be better qualified than she to organise a series in his honour.”
The full ‘Seán Corcoran Series’ programme also includes traditional Irish music sessions, music classes, sean-nós dance workshops, a Bread & Roses community fair, and a Louth foraged lunch, and a double decker bus tour. Informal sessions of music and song will also be hosted in various locations in the town throughout the weekend.
All artists and craftspeople involved in the series are highly celebrated in their respective fields; each interconnected, either via Seán’s work directly, the Corcoran family, or the wider Irish traditional music and song community. The inclusion of literature, public sculpture, local history, food, and crafts expands the programme to represent the diverse creative community surrounding Seán’s life and work.
For full programme details, or to book tickets, visit: https://seancorcoranseries.com/
SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/seancorcoran_series
Twitter – https://twitter.com/SCSLouth
Facebook event – https://www.facebook.com/people/Se%C3%A1n-Corcoran-Series/100093661467100/
VIDEOS
Seán Corcoran & Helen Brennan ‘Erin’s Flowery Plains’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBB4cgdcOc0
Seán Corcoran – ‘Caoineadh na dTrí Muire’
