Composer’s legacy speaks for itself on radio

O’Riada’s iconic radio series is now being rebroadcast to mark 40 years since his death,says Colette Sheridan

SEÁN Ó Riada’s contribution to Irish traditional music is being celebrated in a rebroadcast of his ground-breaking radio series from the 1960s, Our Musical Heritage. The series is being revisited on Peter Browne’s RTÉ Radio One programme, The Rolling Wave, to mark the 40th anniversary of Ó Riada’s death. It features musicians and composers who discuss each broadcast. The composer’s son, Peadar Ó Riada, contributed to the programme last week. The series kicked off with an introduction by Eamon de Buitleár, who was a member of Ó Riada’s traditional band, Ceoltóirí Chualann. This coming Sunday, Connemara sean nós singer and member of the all-female band, Liadan, Síle Denvir, will be Browne’s guest. Future guests include east Munster sean nós singer, Áine Ní Cheallaigh, and musician, Liam Ó Maonlaí.

As Browne says, Our Musical Heritage was hugely important. “Nobody else had done this, discussing traditional music and looking at what was coming out of the different regions. Ó Riada delved into the different ways of playing in places like Cork, west Limerick, Donegal, west Clare, east Clare, Sligo and north Connacht.”