Inis Oirr played their first ’session’ at The Club on April 15th 2010. Their usual performance was changed to be more like a traditional session found in bars and pubs around Ireland and Scotland. Sitting in the corner of the room, and with the help of a little amplification, their music filled the bar and was well received by an appreciative audience.

This new format to their gig will be continued for the next few gigs at The Club. They are scheduled for May 6th and June 3rd. Please join us and enjoy the music and the ‘craic’.

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The event opened with a welcome from H.E. Ambassador Ciaran Madden who then invited Paul Gallagher to address the invited guests. He spoke of the close ties Ireland had with the UAE and hoped that these would be further developed with the opening of embassies in Dublin and Abu Dhabi.

The formalities were concluded with a cake being cut by H.E. Ambassador Ciaran Madden, H.E. Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi and Paul Gallagher.

Inis Oirr then took to the stage to entertain the guests at the reception held in the Aloft hotel. The outdoor venue was filled with Inis Oirr’s toe-tapping jigs and reels, moving airs and traditional songs.

Inis Oirr then made their way to the bar where a session started. Tunes and songs were played long into the night. It was a very enjoyable end to a weekend of music in Bahrain.

A large crowd enjoyed the many tunes and songs. Mick sang ‘The Devil and the Widow” for the first time. It got a great reception from the people who were listening carefully to the words! Fiodhna, Marianne and Ged all played solos during the gig. Fiodhna played The Foggy Dew on the low whistle, Marianne played a Scottish selection on the fiddle and Ged played a selection of jigs on the banjo. This added a new dimension to Inis Oirr’s repertoire.

A big thanks to Steve and all in the club for making such improvements to the venue. Looking forward to the next gig on the 5th November.

“This has become an annual gig that I really enjoy,” says Bobby, “and I really like Inis Oirr’s arrangements and variety of instruments.”

Bobby has travelled the world over the past 40 years as a professional musician, playing traditional music from the Catskill Mountains in New York State, to the Great Wall of China. He has several recordings made over the years, including the popular ‘Memories of Clare’ album and The Master’s Choice. He can be found playing at the Bru Boru Cultural Centre in Cashel, Co Tipperary during the summer months. Check out this page on Wikipedia for more information about Bobby. For some videos of his music, check out this link to YouTube.

To whet your appetite, here is Bobby playing a selection of reels starting with Sporting Nell and finishing with The Maids of Castlebar. He goes on to lilt the Boys of Ballysodare.

This was Inis Oirr’s biggest gig to date and their music went down very well with the large and appreciative crowd. Dave Cattanach, the manager of the Irish Village, was thrilled with Inis Oirr’s music. ‘We’d love to have you back next year!’, he said after the last set of the night. A great end to a great week.

Here is a short video of the performance.The tune is Jenny Pickin’ Cockles

Inis Oirr provided the entertainment at a reception for the travel industry in Abu Dhabi, as part of Tourism Ireland’s second trade mission to the United Arab Emirates on 23rd February 2009. Tourism Ireland and four of their trade partners, the g hotel in Galway, Spa Ireland, the National Stud and Dublin Tourism,  offered workshops in the Hilton Hotel, Abu Dhabi that promoted Ireland as a travel destination for holiday makers from the UAE. At the reception that followed, Inis Oirr played a selections of jigs, reel, airs and songs. They finished the evening with a series of acoustic tunes played for a small and appreciative audience.

Photo from left: Ged Palmer, Marianne Campbell, Padraig Hyland, Her Excellency Mary McAleese, Dr Martin McAleese, Fiodhna Hyland, Mick Giblin, St. John Kelliher, Micheal Martin.

The words that Her Excellency Mary Mc Aleese, The President of Ireland, used to describe Inis Oirr’s performance at the Emirates Palace Hotel,  Abu Dhabi. At the invitation of the Irish Ambassador, Mr Tom Russell, Inis Oirr opened the reception with two selections of jigs and reels and the beautiful slow air “Ar Eireann Ni Neosfainn Ce Hi”. Accompanied by her husband Dr Martin Mc Aleese and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin, the President met with the Irish Community and their friends who had gathered to welcome her to Abu Dhabi.

The President thanked all those who were involved in the organisation of the event and had some special words for Inis Oirr:

“Our music travels so lightly and so easily and it’s wonderful, isn’t it, to be in the company of the great music that we had from Inis Oirr – weren’t they absolutely first class, just stunning.”

Here is the music that Inis Oirr played at a reception for the President of Ireland, at the Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi.

Jigs: Haleys

Air: Ar Eireann Ni Neosfainn Ce Hi

Reels: The Green Mountain, Cooleys

The President announced the opening of an Irish Embassy in Abu Dhabi and commended Irish people around the world for their sense of community, curiosity and friendship that they develop and maintain no matter where they are.

Watch the report of the President’s Visit to the UAE from TG4, Ireland’s Irish Language TV station, broadcast on 4th February. It includes a short snippet of Inis Oirr’s performance.

This year, the Irish and Scottish societies joined forces and there were some lovely displays of dancing from both tribes.

Everybody had an enjoyable evening and enjoyed the food, dancing and of course Inis Oirr’s music.