Some of the best musicians in the west of Ireland will take part in Slán le 2022 – a special New Year’s Eve programme on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta as part of the station’s Christmas schedule.
From 10pm on New Year’s Eve, presenters Jó Ní Chéide and Séamus Ó Scanláin will be joined by a host of fantastic musicians to welcome the new year.
Guests will include gifted singer-songwriter Pádraig Jack from Árainn, Bríd Ní Mhaoilchiaráin, winner of this year’s Corn Uí Riada – the All-Ireland sean-nós final, and talented Conamara brother and sister Séamus and Caoimhe Ó Flatharta, as well as many more.
The voice of the young generation of Galway talent will feature strongly across the Christmas schedule of the station this year.
Taisce Chois Fharraige is a project undertaken by Ceoltóirí Óga Chois Fharraige to gather information, sound recordings, and photos about the musicians, singers, dancers, storytellers and writers of the Cois Fharraige Gaeltacht area as a valuable archive for future generations.
On Christmas Eve at 8pm RnaG will broadcast the special concert held for the launch of the project earlier in December.
It is tradition that the talented Conamara youngsters who take part in the Oireachtas festival every year are then invited to participate in a special show afterwards back home to celebrate their achievements.
RnaG was in Leitir Móir for the event this year, and it will be broadcast over two programmes at Christmas – the first on Tuesday 27 December at 3pm, and the second on Sunday 1 January at 5pm.
All the traditional arts will be represented including singing, storytelling, sketches, agallamh beirte and sean-nós dancing.
On Christmas Day at 5pm, listeners can tune in to hear Cosán na Naomh, a new music commission produced by Stiúideo Cuan in An Spidéal.
Written by fiddler and composer Máire Breatnach, Cosán na Naomh is inspired by an 18 km pilgrim route through the West Kerry peninsula of Corca Dhuibhne.
The work is performed by piper Mick O’Brien, Harper Noreen O’Donoghue and the composer herself on fiddle and viola. It was on stage earlier this year, but this is its radio premiere.
The RnaG archive is an invaluable source of information about the people and the history of Conamara.
Recently, Bríd Nic Dhonncha did a presentation to the Cumann Béaloideas Chonamara folklore society about the wealth of material in the archive relating to An Cheathrú Rua.
This can be heard on 3 January at 9.10am in Cartlann na Ceathrún Rua – RnaG@50.
The programme will include recordings with Colm Choilm Dairbe, father of well-known boatman John Dairbe Ó Flatharta, Cáit Uí Chathair, who was married to famous Blasket Islander Muiris Ó Súilleabháin, and Jimmy an Oileáin.
2022 was a big year for RnaG as they marked fifty years on air, and listeners will get another chance to hear some of the special programmes broadcast for the celebrations over Christmas, including the gala concert RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta 50 featuring, among many others, Johnny Óg Connolly, Altan, Iarla Ó Lionáird & Steve Cooney, together with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, which will be broadcast on New Year’s Eve at 7pm.
Joe Heaney, or Joe Éinniú, remains a great Conamara legend, and the gala concert from the annual festival in his name in Carna will be broadcast on 3 January at 7 pm.
Details of the full RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta Christmas schedule are available on its website rte.ie/rnag
