At 81, alive to the wonder of trad music

ONE does not associate traditional music with Waterford in the way one does with the heartlands of Miltown Malbay or Cúil Aodha, but the thriving trad scene in the city reflects the healthy state of the genre in Ireland.

This weekend, Waterford hosts the John Dwyer Trad Weekend, the only traditional music festival in Ireland named after a living musician. Now in its third year, the weekend, under the umbrella of the Imagine Arts Festival, honours Dywer, who has played a significant role in the traditional music scene in the region.

A former garda, born in Castletownbere, Co Cork, and now living in New Ross, Co Wexford, the fiddle player is also a composer and his many tunes are played at sessions all over the world. In 2010, he was named the TG4 composer of the year. Not bad for a man who has no formal musical training.