MÓRglór Award Winner Siobhán Peoples to be celebrated in a memorable concert featuring a host of special guests on Saturday 16th December 2023
Photo © Con Kelleher
glór is delighted to announce that this year’s annual MÓRglór Award 2023 has been awarded to fiddle player, Siobhán Peoples.
A world-renowned performer and tutor, 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.
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.
Director of glór, Marie O’Byrne, comments, “We are absolutely delighted to recognise and celebrate Siobhán Peoples’ substantial contribution to the development and promotion of traditional music of Co. Clare, locally, nationally and internationally. We very much look forward to a concert which will celebrate Siobhán’s tireless dedication to her art, in the company of many of her closest friends and musical acquaintances.”
County Clare is renowned and celebrated globally for its rich musical heritage. Music, song and dance all play a central role in the cultural life of the county. The traditional arts are an intrinsic part of County Clare’s identity, portraying a wonderfully rich and diverse image of the county both in Ireland and abroad.
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 sponsored by glór and developed in partnership with Dr. Tim Collins. A panel of traditional arts practitioners and experts, assembled by glór, invites an awardee, fitting with the objectives and spirit of MÓRglór, to be celebrated annually.
Previous MÓRglór recipients include 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).
Tickets on Sale from Wednesday 6th September at 10am €25/€22 Conc. + €1 booking fee. More information and booking HERE
