Song and dance made about new book

MINISTER for the Arts, Culture & the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan, visited the Northside last week to launch an Artane woman’s new book.

Caitríona Rowsome’s CD edition book, entitled

‘The Complete Carolan Songs & Airs, Arranged for the Irish Harp’, was launched at Clontarf Castle on October 2.

Minister Deenihan praised Caitriona’s major contribution to the history of Irish music and thanked her for the invitation to be amongst so many renowned Irish musicians.

Among the guests was harpist Sheila Larchet-Cuthbert, one of Ireland’s legendary harpists who was principal harpist in the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester and the RTÃ? Symphony Orchestra.

Also present was broadcaster and director of the Irish Traditional Music Archive, Nicholas Carolan.

At the launch, Caitríona spoke about Carolan’s lyric and airs which are treasured by musicians but particularly so by harpers, and gave an insight into why she embraced this project of four years with such enthusiasm.

She thanked those who attended and praised the publisher, Walton’s, for publishing a book of this stature in difficult economic times.

At the launch Caitríona joined renowned family musicians, brother Kevin Rowsome on uilleann pipes, sister Mary Rowsome on flute, Mark Lysaght on guitar and Lorraine Hickey on fiddle, and together they played a Carolan medley on a stage set with a visually stunning backdrop of the Battle of Clontarf.

The book, which includes four CDs, is on sale in Walton’s and cost

?¬29.50. It is also on sale online from Walton’s.