Mayo mother and daughter to compete against each other at All-Ireland Fleadh

A MOTHER and daughter from Achill are to compete against each other for an All-Ireland Fleadh title in Sean Nós singing this week.

The All-Ireland Fleadh 2024 takes place in Wexford all this week with traditional musicians of all ages to gather in the south-east for a week of music and song with the highly anticipated competitions due to take place in venues next Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Among the competitors from Mayo will be Kathryn Tiernan and her mother Katie Sweeney Tiernan who will compete against each other in the Senior Ladies Sean Nós Singing competition.

Kathryn Tiernan from Achill won the Senior Ladies Sean Nós Singing at the Connacht Fleadh recently and uniquely beat her mother Katie who was second in the competition. It will be a very unique event that mother and daughter are representing Connacht at All Ireland level in the same competition.

Kathryn, who holds ten All Ireland titles at all age levels in Sean Nós singing and flute, will represent Scoil Acla, Mayo and Connacht at the 2024 All-Ireland Fleadh in Wexford. Both competitors have represented Connacht at All Ireland level singing Mayo songs for many years.

Katie has also received All-Ireland awards and she specifically sings songs synonymous with Achill Island and west Mayo and she has faithfully carried on the Achill tradition and style of singing down through the years.

Her Achill songs were included in the Glór Mhaigh Eo CD which was launched in the Radió na Gaeltachta jubilee year (1997). Both Katie and Kathryn have been recorded by RnaG and RTÉ radio and television on many occasions.

Kathryn now teaches Sean Nós singing at many festivals and at Comhaltas branches in Dublin, Castlebar and Swinford. Some of her current students are representing their Comhaltas branches in under 18 level at All Ireland level also.