Coole Park will play host to a special event on the prehistoric, Celtic, and early medieval musical instruments of Ireland this evening (Thursday ) as part of the Coole Spring Programme.
Simon and Maria O’Dwyer of Prehistoric Music Ireland will perform a presentation and recital from 8pm to 9pm with instruments ranging from late Bronze Age horns to the great Celtic trumpas of the middle Iron Age, and on to wood wind instruments of early Christianity. Taking 3,000 years of Irish musical instrumentation as their base and 15 years of research, Simon and Maria O’Dwyer recreate the ancient sounds as they play a selection of traditional and new pieces of music on their selection of reproduction horns, trumpas, bone and stone flutes and whistles.
February events at Coole Park start at 8pm on Monday February 3, 8.00 with the latest lecture in the local history publications course. This course provides participants with an introduction to local history and how to go about producing a local history publication. Speakers include both local and national experts in their fields, all having an in-depth knowledge of their subject. This is an action of Galway County Heritage Plan 2004-2008. Monday’s lecture, entitled Researching and sources available at National University of Ireland Library and copyright requirements, is by Kieran Hoare, archivist, special collections room at James Hardiman Library, National University of Ireland. The course is now fully booked. Contact Coole Park if you wish to attend as it may be possible to attend if there is not full attendance on the night.
On Thursday February 5 Coole Park will host the famous Cunningham family sean nós dancers. Sean nós dancing has enjoyed a revival in recent years and The Cunningham Family, from Cashel in Connemara, contributed to its revival and are among the best young sean nós dancers in Ireland. The Cunninghams have won All-Ireland sean nós dancing competitions, made numerous television appearances, and are in great demand around the country. In recent years they have been asked to accompany President Mary McAleese on State visits.
These events mark the start of the forthcoming Spring 2009 Cultural Programme at Coole Park. All events are free. The aim of the programme is to integrate arts, culture, heritage, and education with a series of events for adults, young people, and families. A programme of events is downloadable from www.coolepark.ie and a PDF version from www.galway.ie Contact Coole Park at (091 ) 631804 for details on any of the events.
