Tuamgraney Harp Festival

There is lots of excitement as the committee is in the final stages of preparation for the 9th Tuamgraney Harp Festival (4th-6th April 2025). Our Artistic Director & Chair, Dr Fiana Ni Chonaill has been working hard to promote the festival all over the county. On the 19th of March she featured on Clare FM’s ‘The West Wind’ with Paula Carroll live in studio and was interviewed on Scariff Bay’s Community Radio by Geraldine Colleran on the 29th of March.

The festival also received a lovely write up in The Living section of the Clare Champion titled ‘Tuning up for this years harp festival’, written by Dan Danaher.

Due to the pandemic the 2021 Blossom Harp Festival took place online on the 27^th March 2021.  Participants were welcomed by Manus McGuire an international renowned fiddle player living in Tuamgraney and Mary Coffey, currently Mayor of Tuamgraney. 

An exciting programme followed with renowned harpists Janet Harbison and Michelle Mulcahy leading workshops attended by an international audience.  A lively Q and A session introduced the two harpists who shared their own experiences and answered questions posed by the participants. 

An innovative interview with our harp maker sponsors was facilitated by Fiana Ni Chonnaill and added a successful new dimension to the programme.   Fiana and Elizabeth Afolter together with their ensembles provided a series of beautiful musical interludes.  

A series of short videos presenting the village ran consecutively during the breaks and the day ended with a gala concert with all the musicians from the day joining a number of local harpists and fiddle players to conclude a very successful festival.

Sadly the festival saw the retirement of our founder Elizabeth Afolter and we take this opportunity to wish her well in her new home in Ballinasloe. 

We will transition to the Tuamgraney Harp Festival to be held on 14^th and 15^th May 2022 and will comprise both face-to-face and online components.  A new committee chaired by our new artistic director Fiana Ní Chonaill, has been established and we look forward to welcoming you all to Tuamgraney in May.

We are delighted to announce the Blossom Harp Festival Tune Challenge 2021. You are invited to learn and share your recording of Tuamgraney Castle (see picture and link for notes). The festival would like to start by nominating committee members Elisabeth Affolter, Fiana Ní Chonaill (Fiana Harp Music) and Manus McGuire. Upload your video , tag the friends you wish to nominate and don’t forget to tag Blossom Harp Festival for the chance to have your video shared. This challenge is open to all instruments. Harp Players: To be in with a chance to win a free ticket to this years harp workshop make sure to include #BHFTuneChallenge2021 in your video post. Recordings will be reviewed by an independent judge who will pick the winner, so have fun and get creative!*adjudicators decision will be final and no feedback will be given.