Seán Ó Riada event to include musicians’ congress

A congress for those earning their living from Irish music will form part of events surrounding this year’s Seán Ó Riada Gold Medal Competition in Cork.

The final of the prestigious music competition takes place at the Rochestown Park Hotel next weekend in an event which also includes the congress ‘Comhdháil na gCeoltóirí’.

The congress will allow participants to interact with publishers, broadcasters, and representatives of arts organisations.

Music royalties, Arts Council grants and US visas were discussed at the inaugural comhdháil.

This year’s expanded event will open up further debates with industry experts.

Gael Linn, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, and Irish Music Rights Organisation representatives are among the speakers and people will have the chance to raise questions on formats for music publishing, technology, copyright, contacts and publicity for music concerts abroad.

The comhdháil is preceded on Friday by the Seán Ó Riada Gold Medal Competition which is open to those playing the harp or the pipes, with two gold medals being awarded and a shared prize of €2,500.

The competition rotates yearly between different traditional musical instruments and attracts an international entry.

English and American musicians are in the list of 14 finalists which also includes piper Michael Coughlan from Buttevant, Co Cork, currently studying for a PhD in applied mathematics in Oxford.