For over 20 years the traditional music series Geantraí has been the lynchpin of music programming on TG4 and after a comeback to our screens this year it is back with a new series kicking off with Geantraí na Nollag on Christmas Day at 9.35pm.
This one hour special gathers the cream of the country’s traditional and folk music talent for a Christmas night celebration featuring Mary Coughlan, Padraig Jack, Johnny Óg Connolly, Mary Bergin and many more.
Geantraí na Nollag, recorded in the iconic Tigh Hughes in An Spidéal, will be presented by the new series presenter acclaimed singer and RTÉ Folk Award nominee 2022, Pauline Scanlon.
For this very special show from this iconic pub Pauline will be joined by Johnny Óg Connolly as co presenter to bring us on a trip down memory lane when this establishment was open to the public and had the legends of Irish music playing there. O
On the night Mary Coughlan who is celebrating 40 years in the business will be accompanied by some of the finest local talent where ceol, craic and collaborations will make for perfect Christmas Night viewing.
They will be remembering Charlie Lennon and Johnny Connolly who both played here for many years will be friends and family of these two cultural icons. Galvian way who established themselves in Tigh Hughes when they were teenagers have a lot to owe to this place.
The show will hear Breda Hughes talk about the many amazing nights of music when the Waterboys used to be regulars and maybe the odd visit from Adam Clayton and local legends De Danann. Music rang out here most nights of the week and people travelled from all over the country for the session.
The series return will come as a Christmas gift to music and culture fans length and breadth of the country and the programme will be the first in the new series return which will go to air on January 12.
Hedgerow Films, the production company filming Geantraí, have recorded a number of episodes in recent months and hope to shine a light on some of Ireland’s lesser-known regions of traditional music as well as some stalworth locations across the country.
