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NEXT PARTY PIECE 2026:
Abair Amhrán with The Vespertine Quintet - Friday 3rd July 1pm in Club Chléire, Cape Clear
Abair Amhrán (say a song) is a relaxed, supportive environment in which to explore the deep tradition of Irish song and improve your Irish while doing it. Each session invites singers to share their Irish songs and learn new ones under the guidance of Eithne O’Mahony from the Muskerry Gaeltacht. From lullabies to worksongs to love songs, you’ll be surprised how much Irish you pick up on the way.
On July 3rd there will be a special version of Abair Amhrán in CLub Chléire on Cape Clear. First we will gather to learn a couple of classics such as Mo Ghile Mear and Fáinne Geal an Lae, we will be then accompanied by classical strings in the form of the Vespertine Ensemble. Led by Justin Grounds, this ensemble specialise in sparse and soulful music, ranging from renaissance to modern minimalism, and they are well-known for their collaborations with an eclectic range of artists such as Liam O’Maonlaoi, Camilla Griehsel, Adrian Crowley and John Spillane. This will be an unmissable opportunity to sing these ancient anthems with a modern classical chamber ensemble backing you up. No previous experience with singing or with Irish is necessary, we will teach you the songs and translate the lyrics when needed.
Abair Amhrán is supported by Party Piece, a project led by Dr. Kevin McNally and funded by Creative Ireland, Cork County Council and the Department of Culture, Communication and Sport. Party Piece aims to make informal participatory music widespread, accessible and self-sustaining in the west Cork area, see www.partypiecemusic.com for details. We thank Music Alive, and Meitheal Chléire for their support.
More about Party Piece
Sound is a binding agent and we are all part of a commonage of sound. A community coming together to make music is a powerful way to assert our interdependence and develop a shared language of place and belonging. Party Piece, (and the Irish-language version 'Abair Amhrán) aims to make informal participatory music widespread, accessible and self-sustaining in the west Cork area. The main part of the project is a series of participatory open music sessions aimed at bringing non-professional musicians together to share tunes and songs. They will be hosted by an anchor musician who has the skill and repertoire to draw upon a wide range of genres and instruments. These sessions will take place in centres that already act as community hubs, and invitations will be extended to community groups to participate.
As music becomes more and more professionalised, the opportunities for making music have changed and the division between performer and audience has solidified. Party Piece aims to bring back the simple joy of taking part in a communal session outside of the normal settings of pubs or dedicated music venues. Over time, the participants will build up a repertoire of music that is relevant to the heritage and environment of the place in which the sessions take place. This will become the ‘songbook’ that sustains the practice after the anchor musician has moved on to the next community. The repertoire will emerge organically from the collaboration between different generations and socio-economics groups and so each songbook will be as unique as the individuals who contribute to it. We will partner with two local festivals – Clonakilty International Guitar Festival in September and West Cork Feelgood Festival in October - to act as showcases for the activities.
Abair Amhrán
Abair Amhrán (say a song) is the Irish-language cousin of Partty Piece, It is a relaxed, supportive environment in which to explore the deep tradition of Irish song and improve your Irish while doing it. Each session invites singers to share their Irish songs and learn new ones under the guidance of Eithne O’Mahony from the Muskerry Gaeltacht. From lullabies to worksongs to love songs, you’ll be surprised how much Irish you pick up on the way.
Our Facilitators:
We are awash with great musicians here in west Cork, and the Party Piece facilitators are all seasoned professional musicians who understand and cherish the vital human interaction of a music session.
Facilitators are:
Eithne O'Mahony
Jim Murray
Justin Grounds
Kevin McNally
Liz Clarke
Oisín Walsh-Peelo
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