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Sean McCarthy Memorial Traditional Irish Ballad Competition
August 3, 2019 @ 8:30 pm - 11:30 pm
€25The twenty fifth annual Sean McCarthy Weekend Festival will take place from August 1st-5th in Finuge.
Sean McCarthy (1923-1990) was born in Greenville, Listowel, one of a family of 10 children.
Sean spent some time in England and the USA before purchasing a holiday home in Finuge, in 1964, which later became his permanent residence.
Sean became a much loved and respected singer/songwriter, journalist and broadcaster. He was a leading contributor to the Irish Folk Music Revival in the 1960’s in the UK and USA and many of his ballads were recorded by individuals and groups like, Christy Moore, Danny Doyle, Tommy Makem and the Clancy Brothers, Johnny McEvoy, The Wolfe Tones, and more recently by Red Hurley, Margo, Don Stiffe and Peggy Sweeney.
Songs like ‘Shanagolden’, ‘Red Haired Mar’y, ‘Step It Out Mary’, ‘In Shame Love In Shame’ and ‘My Kerry Hill’, get regular airplay both on National and Local Radio.
Sean on his return to Kerry became very much involved in Writers Week in Listowel and the local community in Finuge, apart from continuing to write ballads he became a regular contributor on Sunday Miscellany and “Thought For The Day” on RTE and “The Rambling House” on Kerry Radio and he also wrote a series of articles ‘McCarthy’s Women’ which were published by the Kerryman newspaper.
In these articles Sean acknowledged the vital role that women play in Irish society and were rather far-sighted and insightful for the late 1980’s. In 1994 a local committee was established in Finuge to examine ways of keeping Sean’s memory alive and acknowledging his contribution to the folk culture of North Kerry and beyond.
It was decided to erect a bust of Sean’s at Finuge Cross and to hold an annual festival in his honour, with emphasis on original ballad composition and storytelling.
Over 1,500 original ballads have been submitted for the competition from all over Ireland over the past 25 years.
Thanks to their main sponsor and partner IMRO and Mike and Sue Nilsson from Palm Springs, USA, the committee is in a position to give very generous prize money to the contestants and keep this very unique traditional ballad competition alive. Over the past 25 years many of Ireland’s best known ballad singers and writers have performed at the festival including -Liam Clancy, Jim McCann, Danny Doyle, Sean Keane, Brendan Grace, Francie Conway, The Furey Brothers, The Kilkennys, Mickey MacConnell and song writers Pete St. John,Brendan Graham and Philip King.
Story telling is also very much part of the festival. The Mick McCarthy Storytelling Competition attracts entrants from all parts of the country.
The competition is generously sponsored by Lionel McCarthy, Sean’s nephew son of Mick McCarthy, who was Sean’s brother. Mick owned The Embankment in Tallaght from 1963-85, which was the centre of the Irish Folk Revival in the 60’s and 70’s and was the launching pad for the careers of future legends like, Christy Moore.
The Sean McCarthy festival is very special and rather unique in Ireland. It is based on the legacy of music and song that Sean McCarthy left us and the folk tradition of North Kerry. It has survived because of the commitment of a small dedicated committee and the generous support of patrons and sponsors.
The annual Sean McCarthy Memorial Traditional Irish Ballad Competition have announced their finalists for 2019.
JJ Sheehy Tralee IMMIGRATION
Caroline O Callaghan Ardfert SCARABHIN
Brendan Kennelly & Mike Brown GALWAY & Listowel RIVER FEALE FLOW
Neil Brosnan Listowel OUR WILD ATLANTIC WAY
Foster/Fraser /Walsh Mullingar DERRAVARRAGH
James Donohue Galway I REMEMBER YOU ENNIS
Gerry O Regan Waterford THE FISHERMAN (2014)
Jane Willow Dublin LIGHT
John Kinsella Listowel THE FREE TRAVEL
Frank Flynn Dublin. SONG FOR THE PEOPLE.
Jaqueline Mangan Ardagh LULLABY LAY
Jay Byrne Dublin IF I WAS ONLY DREAMIN
Sean McGrath Galway THE SKIBREEN BREEDERS