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    The Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA) is committed to providing free, universal access to the rich cultural tradition of Irish music, song and dance. If you’re able, we’d love for you to consider a donation. Any level of support will help us preserve and grow this tradition for future generations.

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    Home > News

    A note from ITMA CEO Liam O’Connor: Reflecting on 2024 and looking ahead

    Monday 30 December 2024

    As 2024 concludes, the Irish Traditional Music Archive celebrates a remarkable year of progress and resilience.

    ITMA: Reflecting on 2024 and Looking Ahead 

    “Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine.” (We live in each other’s shelter.) 

    As 2024 concludes, the Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA) celebrates a remarkable year of progress and resilience. Despite the challenges of a competitive funding environment, ITMA has continued its mission to preserve, digitise, and share Ireland’s music, song, and dance heritage, ensuring its archives become increasingly accessible to anyone, anywhere, at any time. 

    Democratising Access: From Physical to Digital

    ITMA made great strides in improving access to its collections: 

    • Digitisation Milestones: Thousands of archival materials, including over 10,000 78 RPM records, were organised and inventoried in 2024. With funding from the Government of Ireland’s Shared Island Fund and specialised equipment from the Heritage Council, ITMA now boasts in-house audio and audio-visual digitisation capabilities, enhancing autonomy and quality control. 
    • Digital Storage Expansion: ITMA nearly doubled its internal storage capacity from 200TB to close to 400TB in 2024, creating scalable infrastructure for a growing digital archive. 
    • Rights and Permissions: Clearance efforts advanced significantly, enabling landmark collections like the Breandán Breathnach Archive to become more widely accessible.
    ITMA staff atending a video digitisation training workshop, August 2024

    Connecting Artists with Archival Material

    ITMA inspired contemporary creativity and collaboration in 2024: 

    Drawing from the Well Concert Series and Tour 

    • March 14, 2024: Drawing from the Well: Tommie Potts celebrated the artistry of Dublin fiddler Tommie Potts, featuring Aoife Ní Bhriain, Noel Hill, Sibéal Davitt and Sharon Carty, hosted by Dónal Fallon. 
    • October 6, 2024: Artists such as Louise, Mick and Michelle Mulcahy, Zoë Conway, and Seán McKeon brought archival-inspired creativity to the National Concert Hall. 
    • National Tour: The September 2024 tour featured Derek Hickey, Aoife Ní Bhriain, Stephanie Keane, and Iarla Ó Lionáird, connecting archival treasures with communities across six venues nationwide. 
    Michelle, Louise and Mick Mulcahy performing at Drawing from the Well in the National Concert Hall, October 2024. Photo by Colm Keating

    Saothar: Composers and Dancers
    A monthly series showcasing compositions by contemporary composers in the traditional idiom. Highlights included: 

    To explore the full list of composers, visit Saothar on ITMA.ie. 

     

    Expanding Dance Archival Collections
    ITMA deepened its commitment to preserving Irish traditional dance through: 

    • Collaborations with Edwina Guckian, Cailtín Nic Gabhann, Helen Brennan, Michael Tubridy, and John Cullinane, enriching ITMA’s archives with recordings, materials, and oral histories. 
    • Field interviews with practitioners to document and preserve traditions for future generations. 

     

    Anton Zilles’s Work on Denis Murphy
    Inspired by the A Portrait of an Artist model, Anton Zilles conducted detailed research and curation focused on Denis Murphy of Sliabh Luachra, preserving his unique style and legacy within Irish traditional fiddle music. 

    Dancers Edwina Guckian, Terry Moylan and Caitlín Nic Gabhann in ITMA's library following a video interview.

    Engaging Wider Audiences Through Media

    • Taoscadh ón Tobar: An ITMA/TG4 docuseries freely available on the TG4 Player, bringing Ireland’s traditional music to life through artists Andrea Palandri, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Doireann Ní Ghlacaín, Seán McElwain and Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh. 
    • Brendan Gleeson’s Farewell to Hughes’s: Directed by Ciarán Ó Maonaigh, this documentary honored the legacy of Hughes’s pub, with a three-month cinema run and a TG4 broadcast on December 29, 2024. Plans are underway to bring it to the USA, Australia and UK in 2025. 
    • A Portrait of an Artist: Seán Keane: Premiering at the IFI in January, this documentary celebrated the legacy of the legendary Chieftains fiddler and his contributions to ITMA. 
    • RTÉ Collaborations: ITMA thanks Aoife Nic Chormaic, presenter and producer of The Rolling Wave, and Peter Woods, Head of RTÉ Radio 1, for their continued collaboration, which has amplified ITMA’s reach. These partnerships, featuring pro-bono contributions from Professor Pádraic Mac Mathúna, highlight the importance of public service broadcasting in showcasing Ireland’s cultural heritage.

    Those We’ve Lost

    Each year, the Irish traditional arts community mourns the loss of numerous esteemed tradition bearers whose contributions have profoundly enriched our cultural heritage. In 2024, we bid farewell to several such luminaries, including the renowned composer and musician Charlie Lennon.

     

    Charlie Lennon’s compositions have become integral to Irish music sessions worldwide, from Bantry to Boston. His dedication to the craft was unwavering, as he continually sought to learn and innovate within the tradition. His passing is a significant loss to the musical community.

     

    In March 2023, Charlie delivered a memorable performance at the National Concert Hall during the Drawing from the Well concert, captivating the audience with his mastery as a fiddle player, pianist, and composer. ITMA was privileged to conduct an in-depth interview with him, preserving his insights and experiences for future generations.

     

    We also remember with deep respect other tradition bearers who left us in 2024, such as Séamus Ó Dubháin and Sliabh Luachra’s Timmy O’Connor. Fortunately, ITMA had the opportunity to document their unique knowledge and artistry through interviews, ensuring that their legacies endure.

     

    However, we are acutely aware of the challenges we face, with a significant backlog of interviews awaiting publication and many tradition bearers yet to record. Each missed opportunity is a poignant reminder of the fragility of our cultural heritage and the imperative to honor these extraordinary individuals by preserving their stories, music, and dance for future generations.

     
    At ITMA, we remain steadfast in our commitment to capturing and sharing the rich tapestry of Irish traditional arts, ensuring that the voices and talents of our tradition bearers continue to inspire and resonate across time and place.

    Acknowledging Key Funders and Supporters

    A comprehensive list of ITMA’s funders will be detailed in the Annual Report 2024, but we extend special thanks to: 

    • Arts Councils: The Arts Council of Ireland and Northern Ireland for their steadfast support. 
    • The Heritage Council: For transformative investment in digitisation and administrative capacity. 
    • The Ireland Funds: For facilitating donations from US-based supporters. 
    • The Irish American Partnership: For a $10,000 grant supporting ITMA’s digital education ambitions. 
    • Matched Funding Campaign: Thanks to an anonymous $100,000 pledge, ITMA raised €89,699.41 by December 29, 2024, with hopes of meeting its €95,000 target by year-end. 
    • Government of Ireland and Partners: Including the Shared Island Unit, TCASGM, and DFA for their vital support. 
    • Office of Public Works (OPW): For providing ITMA’s Merrion Square home and their ongoing cooperation. 

     

    Looking Ahead to 2025

    • Drawing from the Well Concerts: Continuing collaborations with the National Concert Hall and expanding international reach with performances at the Centre Culturel Irlandais (CCI), Paris, and Le Philharmonie. 
    • Education for Young People: Developing initiatives with new partners, including The Irish American Partnership, to inspire the next generation. 
    • Shared Island Mews Development: Enhancing facilities with a planned flute residency. 
    • Book on Tommie Potts: The upcoming Portrait of an Artist: Tommie Potts, authored by Seán Potts, with contributions from Aoife Nic Chormaic and Aoife Ní Bhriain. 
    • Song Collections: ITMA will begin work on the exceptional song collections of Christy Moore, Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin, and Len Graham, preserving their invaluable contributions to the Irish song tradition. More details to follow. 
    • New Digitisation Projects: ITMA will continue to expand its digitisation efforts, ensuring even more of the archive is accessible to remote users worldwide. 

     

    Gratitude and Community

    ITMA extends its heartfelt thanks to its dedicated full-time staff, pro-bono contributors, interns, volunteers, artists, and service providers whose hard work, creativity, and collaboration have been the foundation of our success this year. 

    “Diaidh i ndiaidh a chéile a thógtar an caisleán.” (Step by step, the castle is built.) 

    ITMA’s achievements in 2024 were only possible because of the support of our funders, donors, and community. As we look ahead, we remain committed to preserving Ireland’s music, song and dance heritage and making them accessible to anyone, anywhere, at any time. 

    Athbhliain Faoi Mhaise,
    Liam O’Connor

     

    Donate to ITMA

    As the year comes to a close, ITMA is getting very close to meeting its 2024 matched funding goal of €95,000. Donations at any level will assist us in offering free, universal access to ITMA’s materials, preserving and growing Irish traditional music around the world.

    DONATION TRACKER
    last updated: January 3, 2025
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