World-renowned fiddler player Siobhán Peoples will be honoured in Ennis this week when she receives the annual MÓRglór Award.
Siobhán has been an inspiration and mentor to many musicians, locally, nationally and internationally, through her extensive teaching career. She is an outstanding ambassador for the traditional arts in Clare and has been an integral part of the vibrant session scene for several decades.
In recent years, she has also been one of the driving forces behind the resurgence of the Ennis Trad Festival.
Siobhán is steeped in the musical history of Co. Donegal, through her father Tommy, and of Co. Clare, through her grandmother Kitty Linnane, pianist with the original Kilfenora Céilí Band.
MÓRglór 2023 promises to be an incredible night of Clare music with a line-up featuring Siobhán’s friends and some of the most renowned traditional musicians and singers in the country including Siobhán, Tola Custy & Michelle O’Brien; AnneMarie McCormack, Anne Rynne, James Devitt & Seamus Hynes; Katie Theasby & Alan Wallace; Niall Keegan, Sandra Joyce, Conor Cauldwell, Aidan O’Donnell & Conal O’Kane; Noel O’Donoghue, Michael Queally, Paul O’Driscoll, Pat Marsh, John Moloney & Feilim Collins; Damien and Pauric O’Reilly, Eric & Hugh Healy, Johnny Kelly, Brian & Keith O’Loughlin; Andrew McNamara, Geraldine McNamara & Noel O’Grady; Blackie O’Connell, Sean Vaughan & Paddy Kerr; Mairead Ní Domhnaill & Steve Cooney; Siobhan Peoples and Tóla Custy joined by Murty Ryan, John Kelly and Seanie McGrath.
An incredibly dedicated teacher, Siobhán is a featured tutor annually at many festivals and at the University of Limerick. She is known for the qualities of great instrument teachers including a deep love of her instrument, a thorough understanding of her own skills and playing, and the patience, analytical ability and flexibility to recognise and respond to the needs of any student. She also, vitally, believes in creating a relaxed atmosphere in her classes so the passing and learning of the tradition can flow freely.
In 2002, Siobhan teamed up with box player, Murty Ryan, to release an acclaimed duet album, Time on our Hands. This wonderful recording also showcased a handful of Siobhán’s original compositions and that talent for composition has been celebrated widely by organisations such as the Irish Traditional Music Archive.
Siobhán’s dedication to the music of Ennis can also be seen in the work she has done on the committee of the Ennis Trad Festival for many years now. With a group of dedicated friends and colleagues Siobhán relaunched Ennis Trad Festival which has since become a major festival on the traditional circuit and is central to strengthening the traditional identity of Ennis and Co. Clare.
On Saturday 16th December the people of Clare will come together to acknowledge a debt of gratitude to Siobhán for her tireless efforts in promoting Irish Traditional Music with a concert in glór featuring a host of local and national traditional musicians.
County Clare is renowned and celebrated globally for its rich musical heritage with music, song and dance all playing a central role in the cultural life of the county.
MÓRglór is an acknowledgement and celebration by glór of the wealth of professional & semi-professional artists, alongside the talented individuals, groups, and communities within the county, all of whom provide a vital stimulus for the growth and development of Clare’s unique culture.
This prestigious annual award, named after Clare’s cultural ambassador and visionary, Muiris Ó Rocháin, is curated by glór in partnership with Dr. Tim Collins as producer of the event, and who coordinated the original concert in 2013. An anonymous panel of traditional arts practitioners and experts, assembled by glór, selects an Awardee, fitting with the objectives and spirit of MÓRglór.
The previous MÓRglór recipients were Corofin Traditional Music Festival (2014); Eoin O’Neill (2015); Frank Custy (2016); Geraldine Cotter (2017); Chris Droney, (2018); Mary MacNamara (2019); The Shannon Family (2021) and Malbay Studios (2022).
