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From Lisheen to The Bronx: The Fiddle Music of Denis Murphy (1910-74) - Lecture by Dr. Matt Cranitch - 03/10/24, Ó Riada Hall, 5:30pm
It is fifty years since the untimely death in April 1974 of Denis Murphy, the iconic Sliabh Luachra fiddle-player, who left an indelible mark on the course of Irish traditional music. In this illustrated presentation, the various facets and eras of his life and music will be explored – the early days as a pupil of the legendary Pádraig O’Keeffe; the great years in New York; and finally his time at home in Ireland during which the ‘classic’ album The Star Above the Garter was released. Audio and video archive material will provide further contextual background and insights.
Matt Cranitch is renowned as a fiddle-player and teacher, both at home in Ireland and abroad. He has performed extensively at concerts and festivals, on radio and television, and has presented lectures, master-classes and workshops on various aspects of Irish music. He has won All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil titles, as well as The Fiddler of Dooney and Oireachtas Crotty Cup. Author of The Irish Fiddle Book, first published in 1988 and now in its fourth edition, he has also contributed to other books on Irish traditional music. He has made various albums, including those with Na Filí, Any Old Time and Sliabh Notes, in addition to Éistigh Seal which consists entirely of slow airs. With Jackie Daly, he has recorded The Living Stream and Rolling On. He is an authority on the music of Sliabh Luachra, and received a PhD from the University of Limerick for his study on the fiddle-playing tradition of this region. He has taught a number of courses in Irish traditional music during various years at University College Cork. Formerly a consultant for the Geantraí series on TG4 (Irish-language TV), he was also an adviser to the Irish Arts Council scheme for the traditional arts, and has served on the board of the Irish Traditional Music Archive. In recognition of his contribution to Irish traditional music, he has received various accolades, including: University College Cork Hall of Fame Award in 2003; M.J. Quill Irish Cultural Center NY Award in 2014; Patrick O’Keeffe Traditional Music Festival Award in 2017.