Celtic Bridge on Comhaltas
- Date
- Every Sunday at 6pm
- Time
- 5:00 PM
- Location
- Dún Uladh
- Address
- Ballinamullan
- Town
- Omagh
- County
- Co. Tyrone
- Contact
- Josephine Mulveana
- Phone
- 0044 28 8224 2777
- Web
- View Celtic Bridge on Comhaltas Website
Our exciting new venture with Josephine Mulveana of Celtic Bridge will launch on this site on the 5th of March. From 6pm on that day you will one able to listen to music and events from across Ulster with a new programme added every Sunday at 6pm.
A conversation with Ardstiúrthóir of Comhaltas Labhrás Ó Murchú has seen both Comhaltas and Celtic Bridge joining forces in 2017 to bring the established traditional/folk music programme to Comhaltas, being hosted by its Ulster Regional centre Dún Uladh on their website. Celtic Bridge broadcast previously on the northern commercial radio company Q Radio Network for almost seven years where it built up an impressive portfolio year on year, combining a mix of traditional and folk music as well as song from Ireland and beyond. Stalwarts in traditional music and young musicians starting their musical journey passed through studio, were recorded in outside broadcasts and promoted through their newly released material amongst so much more. During our first meeting, Labhrás Ó Murchú said ‘ Celtic Bridge will be the voice of Ulster’ words that ring so true as the programme has focused on artists, their music, it’s people and place and will continue in that vein in its new home.
Already Celtic Bridge has begun its travels again, recording at Fleadh Uladh in Bangor County Down, festivals, singing weekends, interviews, album launches and seisiúns promoting primarily what is happening in Ulster. Keeping to its mix of album releases, archival material, outside broadcasts and studio guests, the programme is looking forward to once again bringing listeners stalwarts in traditional music and song, whilst also including young musicians starting their journey in music. The programme will be promoting events and recording those precious moments in traditional music at Fleadhanna, festivals and seisiuns, alongside studio interviews and performances. This project will also become an integral part of the Comhaltas archive with recordings being uploaded to the archive after broadcast.
Over the years stalwarts from Ulster have graced Celtic Bridge with their masterful musicianship including Cathal McConnell, the late Sarah Anne O’Neill, Len Graham, Maighread and Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill, Cathal Hayden, Joe Diamond, Seamus O’Kane and Jim McGrath to name a few. Other artists who have taken their musicianship to other stages such as Mairead Ní Mhaonaigh and Altan, Cara Dillon, Moya Brennan, Beoga, Damien O’Kane, Neil Martin, At First Light have also guested on the show. Also visiting artists with connections to our ancient province have been recorded by Celtic Bridge including Billy McComiskey, Brian Conway, members of Cherish the Ladies and not forgetting artists from across the sea of Moyle, who have a natural link to Ulster, Julie Fowlis, Jenna Reid, Ina McDonald, The Campbells of Greepe, Anne Martin and Breabach have all taken part, the list goes on. Comhaltas branches within Ulster have made the trip to studio and Celtic Bridge has caught up with many Comhaltas members at Fleadhs around the country, Brendan Scullion has on several occasions brought young musicians from County Down, Fermanagh and Tyrone have been represented by more established musicians, some of whom are tutors within their branches and County Antrim stalwart Jeannie McGrath, Kieran Dempsey and Ciaran Mulholland have visited Celtic Bridge on a few occasions.
This is what Celtic Bridge has always been about and will continue on it’s well worn path, a mix of stalwarts, established artists, remembering the past masters, featuring the young musicians whom that sense of the music, people and place is being passed onto. The journey continues in partnership with Comhaltas during 2017 which is exciting particularly teaming up with Dún Uladh Cultural Heritage Centre as Comhaltas Ulster regional centre looks forward to expanding its vision for the future of traditional music, song and dance in Ulster. Celtic Bridge joins the team at the cusp of a new era, it will be producing and presenting a solid mix of material, promoting events, focusing primarily on the music, its people and sense of place in Ulster, an exciting combination awaits.
Links will be available on the Dún Uladh and Comhaltas websites, also on the Celtic Bridge and Dun Uladh Facebook pages.
In the lead up to the official launch, Celtic Bridge will be out on the road recording and preparing the first set of programmes for your listening, so if there is an event you would like included, a concert performance, a seisiún, if you have an album release, would be keen to come to studio for a chat and performance on Celtic Bridge, please contact the show at / through Facebook or phone Dún Uladh at 028 82242777 or email
Spread the word around Ulster, Ireland and the world, Celtic Bridge ‘the voice of Ulster’ is coming to you online worldwide in association with Comhaltas and Dún Uladh, remembering the past masters, playing the music old and new, featuring the established artists and promoting the young artists who will keep the flame brightly lit for generations to come.
