06/02/26 - FUAIM Concert - Aoife Ní Bhriain & Cormac McCarthy

Happening On 06/02/2026

Presenting work from their new album, Cosán Casta, this year's Traditional Artist in Residence, the extraordinary Aoife NÍ Bhriain, and close collaborator, Cormac McCarthy, take to the Aula Maxima stage for this week's Friday lunchtime concert in association with UCC's TradFest 2026.

Blending deep roots in Irish traditional music with classical, jazz, and contemporary influences, Ní Bhriain and McCarthy chart a compelling sonic path through a shared musical heritage, transformed through their own creative lens.

ABOUT THE ALBUM
Cosán Casta is a deeply considered and intimate work that reimagines Irish
traditional music through original compositions, reinterpretations of archival tunes, and a fusion of classical and jazz idioms. The record pays homage to the music Aoife and Cormac grew up with, the musical language they heard and spoke in their family homes. The album title, Cosán Casta, derives from the Irish words for “twisted path,” reflecting a journey both intricate and organic, rooted and exploratory.

For both Aoife & Cormac, music is deeply tied to confidence, a sense of place, and a feeling of authority. To play their own music, to have trust not only in the notes but the nuances, the quirks of stylistic ornamentation, and the interpretation of the manuscripts collected before their time, has brought them on a path of discovery, helping them find their voice and bring to life their own interpretation of tradition to life. Having both left Ireland to further study music, to discover, develop and explore their practice within the worlds of jazz and classical genres, “it became apparent very quickly that the musical accent of our own traditional music was one that cannot be disguised or gotten rid of easily,” says the pair. “This accent defines how we approach music of all genres but also how we express the truest version of ourselves.”

A mix of the old and new, the album tells “the stories of who we are and where we come from but also the story of the journey our music has taken us on throughout our careers. The paths we have taken have been no means straightforward and the twists and turns on our musical journeys have always directed us back home - to where the music started.

Is fada an bóthar nach bhfuil casadh ann / It's a long road that has no bends.

Further details here.

All FUAIM concerts begin at 1:10pm, admission is free and all are welcome!

Find details of the Spring 2026 series here. Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube for updates.
 

We look forward to welcoming you to FUAIM events this season!