SLMT

The Sliabh Luachra Music Trail was founded in 2013 and is a joint initiative between Kerry (co-funded by The Arts Council) and Cork County Council’s and Limerick City and County Council. Sliabh Luachra is associated with a very specific and idiomatic traditional music style and the partnership was developed to encourage greater awareness of this tradition. The Sliabh Luachra Music Trail supports local voluntary festival committees who work together to create a year-round programme of concerts, workshops, master classes and lectures. The events and festivals supported in Kerry are the Handed Down Concert & Lecture Series, World Fiddle Day Scartaglin, Con Curtin Music Festival and the Patrick O’ Keeffe Traditional Music Festival. From 2019-2023, there was a Musician in Residence (Eoin Stan O’ Sullivan) who supported these festivals, as well as musicians, with his work at the Sliabh Luachra Record label, and young people, by giving workshops in primary and secondary schools.

Key Objectives of the Sliabh Luachra Music Trail:

• To celebrate the musical heritage of the region.
• To preserve the region’s unique musical heritage.
• To promote cultural and creative tourism in the region.
• To create opportunities for and stimulate an interest in the performance of the region’s music.
• To develop an education programme to encourage interest and participation in the region’s music.

Sliabh Luachra Music Trail Website

Handed Down 2016 (Photo: John Reidy)

World Fiddle Day 2018

Con Curtin Festival 2019

Patrick O’ Keeffe Festival 2021

Musician in Residence Eoin Stan O’ Sullivan giving a workshop at Áth na mBláth N.S. (Photo: John Reidy)

Youth Arts

Youth arts is supported through partnerships with Kerry Local Creative Youth Partnership (co-funded by The Arts Council) and Music Generation Kerry, namely by supporting the provision of youth theatre classes, and low-cost instrumental and vocal classes to children and young people in primary and post-primary settings, community and youth hubs, and Youthreach settings.

Key Objectives of the Youth Arts Programme:

• Create and offer inspiring opportunities and experiences for children and young people.
• Explore creative performing arts processes in a way that enables personal growth and artistic skills development.
• Foster the next generation of audiences and practitioners for performing arts.
• Strategically develop performing arts and access to performing arts geographically across the county.
• Support professional arts practitioners to ensure there is capacity to advance of youth arts opportunities.
• Grow opportunities for performing artists to live and work in Kerry.
• Advance a wider awareness of the importance of music and youth theatre in children’s and young people’s lives, through experience and evidence of outcomes that demonstrate and enhance personal development, creative innovation and quality of life.

Kerry LCYP

Music Generation Kerry 

Shout Out Youth Theatre, Listowel 2021 (Photo: Manuela Dei Grandi)

Ukulele Programme at Gaelscoil Aogáin, Castleisland 2022