Gradam Ceoil means Music Awards in Irish. It is also the name for the annual ceremony celebrating Irish traditional music by bringing together the recipients and holding a concert. Last year, just before the world shut down, I attended the event in Belfast.
The 2021 version revived the tradition though it was to be a smaller gathering than the one I attended. It will be streamed tomorrow afternoon for free on the TG4 (Irish Language Broadcaster) online player.
I spoke with the Musician of the Year, Banjo player Angelina Carberry from Co. Leitrim; with Niall Hanna, the Singer of the Year; and one of the key organizers, Proinsias Ni Grainne, who is Commissioning Editor at TG4. We also her from Composer of the Year, Steve Cooney, and Lifetime Achievement recipient, the venerable West Cork man, Seán Ó Sé. And, of course, we sample some of the music and singing.
TG4 can be accessed for the stream on Sunday, October 30th, at 4:30 PM and will remain on-demand for a limited time thereafter. www.tg4.ie
