It is hard to overstate the way Irish step dancing has exploded onto the scene in mainstream media. The once-niche sport will be the topic of a new show to air on TLC called Irish Dancing Tweens. TLC, formerly The Learning Channel, has begun production on a documentary series which will follow several competitive Irish dance schools chronicling everything from choreography to … [Read more...] about The Reality of Irish Dance
Tara Dougherty
Other Voices NYC
By Tara Dougherty, Music Editor
“Well the weather tonight is Irish,” seemed to be the joke of the evening as four hundred lucky audience members packed into downtown New York venue Le Poisson Rouge on a wet October evening. The long celebrated Other Voices program made a leap from Dingle to New York to film two nights of music and the written word as a part of the Imagine Ireland campaign. “We don’t know … [Read more...] about Other Voices NYC
Music Reviews
A look at recently-released music of Irish and Irish-American interest. For the Holidays... The Blair Band • Christmas with the Celts This Christmas, Ric Blair and his merry band of Celtic musicians released a studio album to accompany a DVD of their very popular Public Television special, Christmas with the Celts. Filmed in Nashville in front of an eager sold out audience, … [Read more...] about Music Reviews
Once: The Musical
The beloved Irish film adapted to the stage. It is hard to forget the little Irish movie that could, Once. Released in 2006, Once was shot in Dublin over a 17-day period, with a scant budget of $150,000. It became an Indie sensation with stars Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard of the Frames winning an Oscar for Best Original Song and winning far more fans with their … [Read more...] about Once: The Musical
Music Reviews
The latest in Irish and Irish-American music Beoga's How to Tune a Fish • Beoga An exciting new release from Compass Records, How to Tune a Fish by Beoga is sure to be a lively hit amongst long-time trad fans and newcomers alike. Eamon Murray’s presence on the bodhran is a dominant one. Trad music is by its nature very percussive, but Murray, a former All-Ireland champion … [Read more...] about Music Reviews