SMI Summer Series 2020: Deirdre Ní Chonghaile, 'Mapping Song Through Time and Space'

"Mapping Song through Time and Space: Rev. Daniel J. Murphy Collects Sean-Nós song in Pennsylvania, 1884–1935"

Dr Deirdre Ní Chonghaile
@AranSongs

Many Irish traditional musicians enjoy accessing historical sources to inform and enrich their contemporary practice. But what archives remain unknown to us? And how can we improve their discoverability and accessibility?

Considering these questions, this presentation shares the story of Rev. Daniel J. Murphy from Sligo and J.J. Lyons from Galway, who transcribed over 1,200 sean-nós songs from Irish-speakers in Pennsylvania from 1884 to the 1920s. Preserving the pre-Famine memory of Ireland in a diasporic setting, this extraordinary collection of manuscripts reveals a unique opportunity to map song through time and space and so highlight its currency, mobility, and enduring power.

"An Abhainn Mhór" is performed and provided with kind permission by Saileog Ní Cheannabháin.

More information about Saileog and the label for which this performance was recorded, Raelach Records, can be found at the following links:

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