Aileach in Concert

Aileach in Concert

Saturday 24th October 8.00pm

Concert in Memory of the late Denis Heaney Snr, renowned fiddle player and teacher. Aileach have come together to play this event as his son Bernard was an original band member.

Aileach The traditional Irish group was formed in 1969 and consisted of Dinny Mc Laughlin (fiddle), Bernard Heaney (vocals and guitar), Liam curly Coyle (banjo, mandolin and guitar) and Nicky Bryson (tin whistle). Dinny was from Buncrana and the other members were from Derry.

Within a few years, Curly and Nicky left the group, being replaced by the now existing members, Pat Mc Cabe (accordion, tin whistle, and key board) and Brian Mc Rory (banjo, mandolin, guitar): Pat is originally from Clones, Co Monaghan and Brian is originally from Ballygawley, County Tyrone.

Over the years, Michael Carey (tin whistle, timbre flute) and Ciaran Toorish (fiddle, tin whistle) would step in, if members of Aileach were unable to play some gigs, for one reason or another.

In their own right, Ciaran Toorish and Michael Carey, contemporaries and originally from Buncrana, are exceptional musicians, having won every category in their respective competitions, at Junior level to Senior level. It is no exaggeration to say that Ciaran (fiddle) and Michael (Flute, Whistle) have won several senior All-Ireland titles in their categories in Fleadh Cheoils, over the years.

In addition, Ciaran is the founder member of the hugely successful International super tradition music group, Altan, which has played in venues all over the world.

Likewise, Michael has also played internationally over his career.

All of the group members have played on traditional music television programmes over the decades, and like Altan, Aileach has played not only on these islands, but in Western Europe and North America.

Dinny Mc Laughlin died just before Christmas 2023, as he approached his 90th birthday. Apart from playing in Aileach, Dinny had been a dynamic music and dance teacher in hs native Inishowen. Indeed, both Ciaran and Michael were former pupils of Dinny.

It is doubly fitting, therefore, that all these musicians will be on stage in Studio 2, Skeoge, to celebrate the major contributions to the growth of traditional Irish music by Denis Heaney.

Location: Studio 2 Units 2-3, Foyle business Park, 4 Beraghmore Road, Skeoge Industrial Estate, Derry, BT48 8SE

ADMISSION £15.00 +BF