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2017 Awards Special Contribution Award A flute player from the Liberties area of Dublin, this man has been a pivotal figure in Irish music in Dublin and beyond for over fifty years. As a collector, archivist, teacher and musician, he has enriched the lives of many through his work with organisations such as Na Píobairí Uilleann, the Irish Traditional Music Archive, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann and the Willie Clancy Summer School. Mick O’Connor Citation A flute player from the Liberties area of Dublin, this man has been a pivotal figure in Irish music in Dublin and beyond for over fifty years. As a collector, archivist, teacher and musician, he has enriched the lives of many through his work with organisations such as Na Píobairí Uilleann, the Irish Traditional Music Archive, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann and the Willie Clancy Summer School. As a researcher, he has travelled the country recording, photographing and interviewing Ireland’s finest musicians. He is currently putting the finishing touches to a highly-anticipated book detailing the history of Irish traditional music in Dublin, which he started over 30 years ago. His enthusiasm for, and generosity with his music is infectious. This is evidenced by his family who all play music to a high standard, and by the numerous younger musicians seeking a greater knowledge and understanding of Irish traditional music, to whom he has been a guide and inspiration. A worthy recipient of this award, this year’s TG4 Gradam Comaoine goes to MICK O’CONNOR Biog Mick O’Connor is a highly respected flute player from the Liberties area of Dublin who has been pivotal figure in the traditional music scene in the capital city of over fifty years. His native area had a rich piping tradition with well-known families like the Potts and others at the forefront. Collector and scholar Breandán Breathnach was another from that locality whose work did much to preserve and promote the music. His neighbourhood provided the young Mick with lots of opportunities to meet and learn the music and to get to know those who carried the tradition like John Egan, the Sligo flute-player from whom he learned so much. Mick’s interest always went beyond learning the tunes and he has had a life-long curiosity about the music, the musicians, the stories behind the tunes and those who performed them. A long-time member of The Pipers’ Club, he was a member of that organisation’s band and performed with the Fintan Lalor Pipe Band. He is also a stalwart of The Castle Céilí Band whose status is legendary. As a researcher, he has travelled the country recording, photographing and interviewing Ireland’s finest musicians. He is currently putting the finishing touches to a highly-anticipated book detailing the history of Irish traditional music in Dublin, which he started over 30 years ago. He has assisted the work of Comhaltas, the Scoil Éigse and of the Irish Folk Music Archive. He is a regular at the Willie Clancy Summer School each July in Milltown Malbay. His enthusiasm for the music is infectious and his many talents – as photographer, recordist, designer and publisher have been put to good use in the many projects in which he’s been engaged. These include the magisterial albums Seoda Ceoil (1&2), the book Eagle’s Whistle published as a tribute to Donncha Ó Briain (1960-1990), a collection of Charlie Lennon’s compositions, an anthology of Michael Coleman’s music edited by Harry Bradshaw, and the Fiddle Tutor, written by Kathleen Nesbitt.
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Gradaim 2017 Gradam Comaoine Rugadh an fliútadóir agus an bailitheoir ceoil seo i gceantar Na Saoirsí i lár Bhaile Átha Cliath ag tráth a raibh iomrá ar an cheantar seo mar cheathrú cheoil ina raibh cónaí ar phíobairí agus ar cheoltóirí aitheanta. Orthu seo bhí muintir Potts agus an bailitheoir clúiteach Breanndán Breathnach. Mick O’Connor Ardlua Is as ceantar na Líobairtí i mBaile Átha Cliath don cheoltóir seo, fear feadóige móire a bhfuil a chion agus tuilleadh déanta aige mar cheoltóir, mar mhúinteoir, mar bhailitheoir agus mar chartlannaí agus é gníomhach le heagrais mhór an cheoil lena linn – Na Píobairí Uilleann, Taisce Cheol Dúchais na hÉireann, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann agus Scoil Shamhraidh Willie Clancy. Agus é i mbun taighde agus bailiúcháin, tá an tír siúlta aige, ag scríobh, ag bailiú, ag glacadh grianghrafanna agus ag cur agallamh ar scoth cheoltóirí na hÉireann. Ní fada go bhfeicfear toradh an tsaothair seo atá idir lámha aige le deich mbliana fichead mar go bhfuil sé ag cur bailchríoch ar leabhar ina ríomhfar stair an cheoil traidisiúnta sa bpríomhchathair. Is ceannaire fuinniúil é a bhfuil a dhúil sa gceol le brath ón gcéad nóta agus tá sé fial ag roinnt a chuid eolais agus a chuid tuairimí. Is ceoltóirí cumasacha iad a chlann féin agus is iomaí ceoltóir óg eile a thagann faoina scáth ar thóir comhairle agus teagaisc. Tá Gradam Comaoine TG4 á bhronnadh ar MICK O’CONNOR Biog Rugadh an fliútadóir agus an bailitheoir ceoil seo i gceantar Na Saoirsí i lár Bhaile Átha Cliath ag tráth a raibh iomrá ar an cheantar seo mar cheathrú cheoil ina raibh cónaí ar phíobairí agus ar cheoltóirí aitheanta. Orthu seo bhí muintir Potts agus an bailitheoir clúiteach Breanndán Breathnach. Bhí an-spéis ag Mick sa cheol agus é ina ghasúr óg, agus chaith sé an oiread ama agus a thiocfadh leis i gcomhluadar na seancheoltóirí, rud a chuaigh go mór i bhfeidhm air. Neartaigh a dhúil, ní amháin sa cheol féin, ach sa chultúr agus sa bhéaloideas a théann leis. Spreag seo é le scéal na gceoltóirí a bhailiú agus a bhreacadh síos. Bhí deis aige bualadh le sárcheoltóirí ó cheann ceann na tíre i mBaile Átha Cliath agus chuir sé aithne mhaith ar go leor acu, ina measc John Egan, an fliútadóir cáiliúil as Sligeach a theagasc an-chuid ceoil dó. Bhi Mick ina bhall de Chumann na bPíobairí ar feadh deich mbliana fichead. Bhí dúil aige riamh i mbannaí ceoil agus choinnigh sé Banna Céilí an Chumainn sin le chéile ar feadh na mblianta. Chaith sé seal ina bhall de Bhanna Píob Fintan Lalor nuair a bhí sé ina ógánach, ina dhiaidh sin bhí sé ina bhall agus ina stiúrthóir de Bhanna Céilían Chaisleáin, banna ceoil nach bhfuil a shárú ann Le blianta fada tá sé ina chrann taca ag eagrais atá ag caomhnú agus ag cothú an cheoil traidisiúnta, ina measc siúd tá Taisce Cheol Dúchais Éireann, an Scoil Éigse, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann agus Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy. Taobh lena chumas mar fhliútadóir, tá an-aithne ar Mick mar bhailitheoir agus mar staraí ceoil. Is fada é ag taisteal na ceithre hairde ag cuartú ceoil, eolais agus seanchais an cheoil. Ar na tograí is mó atá idir lámha aige, tá leabhar a rianann scéal agus stair an cheoil traidisiúnta i mBaile Átha Cliath, agus táthar ag dúil go mór leis an saothar seo uaidh. Tá súil ghéar aige, rud is léir óna shaothar grianghrafadóireachta ina bhfeictear ceoltóirí, amhránaithe, damhsóirí agus éisteoirí faoi dhraíocht an cheoil, ag seinm, ag damhsa, ag gáire, faoi gheasa, sceitimíní orthu. Duine gnaíúil é a spreagann cairdeas agus flaithiúlacht tríd an cheol. Tá sé ildánach agus lámh mhaith aige ar dhearadh agus foilsitheoireacht, idir leabhair agus cheirníní. I measc na bhfoilseachán a raibh baint aige leo, tá an dá albam críochniúil Seoda Ceoil (1&2), an leabhar Eagle’s Whistle a foilsíodh in ómós do Dhonncha Ó Briain (1960-1990), cnuasach de cheol nua-chumtha Charlie Lennon, díolaim de cheol Michael Coleman in eagar ag Harry Bradshaw, agus Fiddle Tutor, leabhar teagaisc a scríobh an veidhleadóir aitheanta Kathleen Nesbitt.