Inis Oirr

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.

Inis Oirr have been booked to play in the Irish Village, Dubai for 4 nights in mid-March. Inis Oirr will be part of the Village’s 5 Days of St. Patrick’s Day festivities at The Irish Village.

This Year’s St. Patrick’s Day is part of a five days extravaganza.

The week starts off with the return of one of Ireland’s favorite sons – Sir Bob Geldof, who will perform live on Friday 13^th March.

…the festivities go on with Traditional Irish Music from Inis Oirr and Traditional Dancing.”

(Excerpt from the Irish Village Website)

Inis Oirr will be playing three 45 min. sets at the following times:

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.

Inis Oirr will be playing for the Official Visit of the President of Ireland to the UAE on February 4th.The reception, to be held at the Emirates Palace, will be attended by Sheikhs, Ambassadors, Irish business representatives and the Irish community living in the UAE.

The Irish community in the UAE and Abu Dhabi Irish Society is delighted and honored to welcome Her Excellency Mary McAleese, Uachtarán na hÉireann (President of Ireland), to Abu Dhabi next week. Following her visit to Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Medical University in Bahrain, Mrs McAleese will meet Irish residents and friends in the UAE at a reception hosted by Ambassador Tom Russell in the Emirates Palace hotel on February 4th, 2009 from 19:00 to 21:00.

(Quote from Abu Dhabi Irish Society Website)

Watch out for Inis Oirr in the Irish Village, Dubai and The Club, Abu Dhabi over the next few weeks.

• Inis Oirr are playing after the Dinner Theatre (pdf)  organised by the Abu Dhabi Irish Society in The Club on the 5th Feb from 11.15pm – 12.30am.
• The band are booked for 4 nights in the Irish Village, Dubai from the 14th-17th March.
• The band are playing at the cocktail reception for the St Patrick’s Day Ball  organised by the Abu Dhabi Irish society in the Crowne Plaza on 19th March from 7pm-8.30pm.
• Inis Oirr are booked in the Club bar on 19th March from 9.30-12.30am and there will be a guest appearance by one of Ireland’s best button accordion players, Bobby Gardiner.

Inis Oirr provided the music for the Dubai Irish Society’s annual Ceili at the end of October in the Mina Seyahi hotel.

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.

Here are some images of the radio show.

[View with PicLens]

 

Dubai Eye Radio 103.8 FM invited Adu Dhabi’s traditional music group Inis Oirr to perform live on their Saturday afternoon Music and Cultural program. The show comprised of tunes and interviews of the different band members. There were requests for tunes and information about upcoming gigs.

Inis Oirr spoke about their different instruments. Here is the clip.

Radio Clip