TIGH CHOILM

To date, it has published over 300 books of all kinds, in Irish of course, and over 150 albums of traditional music. It's precisely one of them that I'm presenting here, an album released a few months ago.  Some Irish families are completely committed to music. Such is the case of the Ó Cualáin family, originally from Carna (Connemara), three generations of which can be heard on the album Tigh Choilm - Ceol na cCualáin. The recordings were made over three decades, from the late 50s to the present day.

They range from instrumental music to songs and dance. Twenty-six titles in all, and no fewer than fifty tunes. Reels, jigs, hornpipes, waltzes and songs, including traditional Irish standards: Lark in the Morning, The Rights of Man, Rakish Paddy, Toss the Feathers, Star of Munster, The Road to Lisdoonvarna, The Boys of Ballysadare... and many others.
This considerable body of work bears witness to a family that has brought with it the very best of its heritage.

The famous musician and music collector Séamus Ennis (1919 - 1982) had already spotted these musicians in the 40s and recognized the mastery and talent of the Ó Cualáin family members.
Of course, the recordings presented here represent only a small part of the family's musical heritage. Of course, the sound is not always as polished as it could be if it were produced today, but it is an authentic testimony. We have here a work that both delights the listener's ear and pays tribute to musicians whose talent was recognized during their lifetime. This music conveys the same values today as it did three generations ago. It brings people together, revives memories and pays incredible tribute to people for whom music was an important part of their daily lives. Authenticity is the right word for this work.

Cló Iar-Chonnacht CICD 210 - www.cic.ie