Two Mayo musicians honoured for their dedication traditional Irish music

TWO musicians from Mayo have been awarded the prestigious Comhaltas Bardic Award in recognition of their outstanding dedication and exceptional talent in the realm of traditional Irish music.

Mayo natives Grainne Hambly and Tom Doherty were among the six individuals chosen to receive the coveted award in 2023 by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.

Hailing from Knockrickard near Mayo Abbey, Grainne Hambly was raised in a musical household with two talented sisters.

Grainne began on the tin whistle, later expanding to include the concertina and harp. Her prowess on the concertina earned her the All-Ireland senior competition title in Clonmel back in 1994.

Additionally, she secured victories at the Harp Festivals competitions in Keadue and Granard and triumphed in the All-Ireland senior harp competition the same year.

Her achievements led her to join the National Folk Orchestra and tour with the esteemed Belfast Harp Orchestra founded by Janet Harbison.

She holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Music from Queen’s University Belfast, as well as a Graduate Diploma in Education (Music) from the University of Limerick.

She has recorded extensively and now performs and teaches at concerts and festivals across the globe.

Closer to home, Grainne teaches privately in addition to her work with Music Generation Mayo, where she teaches early years music in local primary schools and leads the Music Generation Mayo Harp Ensemble with her husband, harpist William Jackson.

Another honouree of the Comhaltas Bardic Award is Tom Doherty, a musician, music teacher, and sound engineer from Foxford.

Hailing from a well-known musical family, Tom began learning the accordion under the tutelage of Martin Donoghue at the age of four.

 Tom’s unwavering passion for music led him to pursue a professional career as a musician and music teacher, and he has taken his artistry to various corners of Ireland, Europe, and the United States.

He is the musical director of the junior and teenage performance group, Glór na Sí.

His music has found its way into numerous television recordings and CDs, capturing the hearts of audiences with its technical brilliance and innovative flair.

Along with four other musicians Grainne and Tom Doherty will be presented with the Comhaltas Bardic Award during the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil in Mullingar.

The awards will take place at a gala dinner at the Bloomfield House Hotel, Mullingar, at 7.30pm on Tuesday, August 8, which will feature performances from the award recipients.