The full 2019 Festival Programme will be released later in 2019. In the meantime, here is a full list of the public events. All are welcome to attend any or all of these afternoon / evening events.
The harpmaker's exhibition on the Saturday is free admission. All Illustrated Talks are free admission. Workshops at Coláiste Pobail Osraí are charged individually on the door. Concerts at the Medieval Mile Museum can be booked via the Medieval Mile Museum box office.
Wednesday 14th August 2019
Coláiste Pobail Osraí, Ormonde Road, Kilkenny
| 3:00 – 4:00 pm | Public Beginners’ Taster Workshop |
Thursday 15th August 2019
Coláiste Pobail Osraí, Ormonde Road, Kilkenny
| 3.30-4.30pm | Workshop – Sylvia Crawford Approaches to early Irish harp fingering |
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Medieval Mile Museum, St Mary’s Lane, High Street, Kilkenny,
| 6.30-7.10pm | Illustrated talk - Siobhán Armstrong Music, Kilkenny and the Sixteenth Century |
| 7.30-8.30pm | Concert: DANCING FINGERS Paul Dooley, harp Brendan Ring, harp Darren Mag Aoidh, fiddle Lillis Ó Laoire, voice |
Friday 16th August 2019
Coláiste Pobail Osraí, Ormonde Road, Kilkenny
| 3.30-4.30pm | General workshop - Eibhlís Ní Ríordáin Learn a song in Irish (for non-Irish speakers) |
Specialist workshop - Lillis Ó Laoire Singing class for Irish speakers |
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Medieval Mile Museum, St Mary’s Lane, High Street, Kilkenny
| 6.30-7.10pm | Illustrated talk – Simon Chadwick Histories and traditions of the Irish harp |
| 7.30-8.30pm | Concert: ELSAFTY, ARMSTRONG & BROWNE Róisín Elsafty voice Siobhán Armstrong harp Ronan Browne Grand Union pipes and whistles |
Saturday 17th August 2019 Harp Makers Day
Coláiste Pobail Osraí, Ormonde Road, Kilkenny
| 10.30-11.00am | Harpmakers’ exhibition | |||
| 12:30-1.30pm | Harpmakers’ exhibition | |||
| 3.00-3.30pm | Harpmakers’ exhibition | |||
| 3.30-4.30pm | Workshop – Simon Chadwick Replica harps and portraits of harpers as a source for performance practice |
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| 4.30-5.00pm | Harpmaker’s exhibition | |||
| 5.00pm | Illustrated talk – Karen Loomis (virtual lecture) Evolution of the Irish Harp |
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Sunday 18th August 2019
Coláiste Pobail Osraí, Ormonde Road, Kilkenny
| 3.30-4.30pm | General workshop – Siobhán Armstrong An introduction to eighteenth-century Irish harp manuscripts |
Specialist workshop – Simon Chadwick Pentatonic structures in arrangements and basses of Gaelic harp tunes |
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Medieval Mile Museum, St Mary’s Lane, High Street, Kilkenny
| 6.30-7.10pm | Illustrated talk – Nancy Hurrell The Egan Irish harps: traditions, patrons and players |
| 7.30-8.30pm | Concert: ALL THE FLOWERS IN THE FOREST James Ruff harp Eibhlís Ní Ríordáin voice and harp Sarah Ghríallais voice |
Monday 19th August 2019
Coláiste Pobail Osraí, Ormonde Road, Kilkenny
| 3.30-4.30pm | Workshop – Siobhán Armstrong Do we want to try to sound like old Irish harpers? Leaning into idiomatic historical Irish harping |
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| 4.30pm | Closing reception & book launch Nancy Hurrell, The Egan Irish harps: tradition, patrons and players (Four Courts Press) |
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Tuesday 20th August 2019
Optional field trip to Dublin, led by Simon Chadwick
(times are approximate)
| 8.00am | Depart Coláiste Pobail Osraí, Ormonde Road, Kilkenny |
| Approx 10.30am | Coffee break at Peaches, Nassau Street, Dublin |
| 11.00am-12.00noon | Trinity College Dublin: • Trinity College (Brian Boru) harp • Patrick Quin’s Castle Otway harp |
| Approx 12.30pm | Lunch break at Brambles cafe, Collins Barracks, Dublin |
| 2.00-3.00pm | National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Dublin: • Kildare harp • Mullagh Mast harp • Sirr harp • Carolan (Rose Mooney) harp • Hollybrook harp • Cloyne harp fragments • Cloyne reconstruction |
| 3.30-4.00pm | Guinness Storehouse Museum, Dublin: • Denis O’Hampsey’s Downhill harp |
| 4.00-4.30pm | Afternoon tea break at the Guinness Storehouse |
| 4.30pm | Depart Dublin for those returning to Kilkenny |
| Approx. 7.00pm | arrive Kilkenny |
There is also a full programme of all-day events for festival participants. The Participants' timetable is available here.
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Feedback from previous years
Frequently Asked Questions
Timetable of Events
Fees and booking information
Venue
Accommodation advice
Previous years’ programmes are archived here:
2018 - 2017 - 2016 - 2015 - 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009 - 2008 - 2007 - 2006 - 2005 - 2004 - 2003