The North Kerry village of Finuge gave a resounding welcome to musicians, songwriters and storytellers who travelled on the August Bank Holiday weekend to celebrate and compete in the 2022 Seán McCarthy Memorial Weekend, following a three year absence.
The festival of music, story and song proudly presented the Seán McCarthy Lifetime Achievement Award for song writing to former IMRO Chairman and founder member, world renowned songwriter and novelist Brendan Graham for his great contribution to the Irish songbook. Former Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and Festival founder, Jimmy Deenihan made the prestigious presentation to Graham.
The man who penned hugely successful songs such as ‘You Raise Me Up’ and ‘Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears’, Brendan was accompanied by Róisín O’Reilly and musician Denis Carey who performed a range of Graham’s best known hits on Friday evening, 29th July in Teach Siamsa, Finuge, Co Kerry.
Brendan expressed his gratitude following the announcement. ‘I am deeply honoured to receive this year’s Seán McCarthy Lifetime Achievement Award. Given the high standard of the craft of song writing achieved by both Seán himself, with his classics like Shanagolden, Redhaired Mary and also reached by the previous recipient in 2019, Mickey McConnell with classics like Only Our Rivers Run Free and December 1914. These timeless songs have touched so many people who received them into their hearts. It is a spur for me to keep writing and to try to reach that higher ground of writing, which Seán and Mickey inhabit’.
McCarthy and Graham’s song writing gave a voice to the Irish Diaspora all over the world in tune with Ireland’s long history of emigration, cementing the link between Ireland and its people abroad.
This is Brendan’s third award in the past 12 months for song writing, including standing ovations following recent performances of ‘You Raise Me Up’ by Westlife and Andre Rieu in Dublin and at the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics closing ceremony. Graham who’s first song was recorded 54 years ago, shared his delight in his song ‘Lullaby for the World’ shared on World Earth Day in April 2022 for a second year. He also wrote two Eurovision Song Contest winning songs, ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Kids’ by Paul Harrington & Charlie McGettigan, 1994 and ‘The Voice’ by Eimear Quinn 1996. Graham has worked with a diverse range of artists including Josh Groban, Westlife, IL Divo, Celtic Woman and Katherine Jenkins. The Nenagh native, now resides in County Mayo for many years.
