Trad meets technology for World Fiddle Day

A marriage of tradition and technology may be a match made in heaven for this year’s World Fiddle Day, writes Pet O’Connell

IRISH traditional music: Its name alone conjures images of a craft distilled by time, its techniques dropping slow to each new generation. The very antithesis, in fact, of the internet’s one-click, instant download of knowledge.

A marriage of tradition and technology, however, may be a match made in heaven for this year’s World Fiddle Day. Scartaglin, Co Kerry, has made this worldwide event into its own international gathering, centred around local Sliabh Luachra fiddle master, the late Pádraig O’Keeffe.