This year will mark the 20th anniversary of the Spraoi Chiarraí summer concerts and, over the years, hundreds of young musicians, dancers, singers and storytellers have come through the ranks.
Some of the participants went on to win national awards, like Gradham Ceoil by TG4, with others becoming full-time professional musicians and all benefiting from valuable experience supporting their art.
Producer/Director Tim O’Shea has another exciting summer of top quality Saturday entertainment lined up with concerts at St Mary’s Church of Ireland on July 5 and 26 and August 2 and 23, all commencing at 8.00pm.
There will be a “round the house” session in the grounds of Killarney House and Gardens on August 16, commencing at 2.00pm.
The concerts will feature the Irish harp, accordion, flute, whistle, fiddle, uileann pipes, guitar, bodhrán and vocals with the outdoor session also including Irish dancing and storytelling.
The aims of Spraoi Chiarraí is to showcase local young talent, to mentor and provide a platform for young performers and to hone their performance skills, teaching them to work as part of a team.
The concerts are sponsored by Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce with additional support from Kerry County Council, Kerry Gems, St Mary’s Church of Ireland and Killarney House and Gardens.
Meanwhile, Tim O’Shea is also involved in a new initiative this summer called the ANAM Sessions which will feature Irish trad and folk concerts at the Arts and Cultural Centre on East Avenue Road.
The concerts, which will run over eight Mondays, starting on July 7 (7.00pm) will feature Tim and friends and his first guest will be Ardfert fiddle and mandolin player Philip Crickard who originally hails from Carrickfergus, Co Antrim.
Tim and Phil have travelled to the US and Germany and, of course, all over Ireland, playing their brand of lively dance music and songs.
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