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Aralt and Dennis

Patrick Oourceau at House Concert

 

 

 

 


Welcome to the Home of Irish Dance, Language and Music
in Kingston, Ontario.

Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann
Harp of Tara Branch

Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann is a non-political, non-sectarian cultural organization founded in Ireland in 1951 to preserve and promote the music, culture and arts of Ireland. CCE now has branches throughout the world. The title of the organization translates into English as "The Society of Irish Musicians." It is referred to as "Comhaltas"or "CCÉ" for simplicity. About Comhaltas

In Kingston, Comhaltas is represented by the Harp of Tara Branch. Founded in 1978, the Branch sponsors an active program of Irish Language, Irish Social Dance, and Music, as well as a monthly Céilí and Siamsa, and Special Events. A brief listing of upcoming events, with links, is Here

Our events are open to all, all ages, and there is no charge for many of our activities.

For the good are always the merry,
Save by an evil chance,
And the merry love the fiddle,
And the merry love to dance:

From "The Fiddler of Dooney" by W.B.Yeats

Upcoming Events Listing

Traditional Irish Ceili - Dance   February 11, 2011
Ecole Cathédrale, 301 Johnson at Barrie. See Monthly Ceili

Monthly Jam/Siamsa   Sunday, February 19, 2:00 p.m.
Kingston Brew Pub, upstairs. See Siamsa

Music in the Schools Campaign. See Calendar

Harp Workshops and Concert. See Calendar

Weekly Sessions, see Music.

Weekly Dance Classes, see Dance

Weekly Language Classes.
An 'intermediate' class has been ongoing, but it's not too late to join in.
A beginners class will be starting up on Wednesdays, starting early October
If you're interested, contact Aralt

Annual Irish Language Immersion Weekend
  April 13 -15, 2012. See Gaeilge

Annual Irish Language Immersion Week
  August 12 -18, 2012. See Gaeilge

View a movie taken at the Gaeltacht Opening Ceremonies, June 16, 2007 Courtesy of Allyson Reid Bowering  Gaeltacht Opening

For a complete listing of upcoming events in Kingston and the area, check the Events Calendar

Harp of Tara would gratefully wish to acknowledge the generous support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, which provided us with a grant in 2009. This enabled us to purchase a sound system for our céilís, educational materials for our language and music programs, and has enabled us to engage in some much-needed long-term planning.

Tara is the mysterious hilltop castle that was home to Irish high kings. It actually existed somewhere in what is now County Meath from very ancient times well before the time of Saint Patrick (432) until its destruction probably in the sixth century, but in any case well before the death of High King Brian Boru on the battlefields of Clontarf (1014). In the poem, written while Ireland was still under an unwelcome British rule, Thomas Moore lets Tara symbolize the seat of Irish government and the rule of Ireland.

The harp, the traditional musical instrument of Ireland, symbolizes the Irish people, culture and spirit

The Harp That Once Through Tara's Halls

by Thomas Moore (1779-1852)
The harp that once through Tara's halls
The soul of music shed,
Now hangs as mute on Tara's walls
As if that soul were fled.
So sleeps the pride of former days,
So glory's thrill is o'er,
And hearts that once beat high for praise,
Now feel that pulse no more!

No more to chiefs and ladies bright
The harp of Tara swells;
The chord alone that breaks at night,
Its tale of ruin tells.
Thus Freedom now so seldom wakes,
The only throb she gives
Is when some heart indignant breaks,
To show that still she lives.

Top of Page

A Selection of Events and Activities
sponsored by Harp of Tara

House Concerts and Music Workshops

Past House Concerts and associated workshops include:

Uilleann Pipes Reed-Making Workshop with Joe Kennedy, co-sponsored with local pipers
Maeve Donnelly and Steve Baughman - Fiddle and Guitar workshops
Diorma - 2004 workshops with Niamh Dunne (Fiddle), Lindsay Moynagh (Harp), Thomas Johnston (Pipes), Shane Greene (Accordion)
Michael Rooney and June McCormack - 2004 Flute and Harp Workshops
Spraoi - 2005 Workshops with Dan MacDonald (Fiddle), Kelley Hood (Pipes), Greig Cairns (Guitar) , Pat Simmonds (Accordion).
Laura Risk And Paddy League - Fiddle and Bodhrán workshops
Flook Concert, co-sponsored, at the Octave Theatre. 2005
Patrick Ourceau and Deborah Quigley - 2006 Immersion Weekend, Fiddle and Pipes
Maeve Donnelly and Tony MacManus - 2007 Fiddle and Guitar Workshops
Patrick Ourceau and Deborah Quigley - 2007 Immersion Weekend, Fiddle and Pipes
Steafan Hannigan and Saskia Tomkins - Fiddle, Bodhrán, whistle flute and pipes, playing together. 2007
Patrick Ourceau and Deborah Quigley - 2008 Immersion Weekend, Fiddle and Pipes
Paul LeGrand - Irish Language Weekend Fiddle Workshop. April 2009
Liz Carroll and John Doyle Concert, Fiddle and Guitar Workshops. April 2009
Steafan Hannagan, Saskia Tomkins, Karen Light Immersion Weekend. Bohdran, Fiddle, Whistle.    May 2009
Patrick Ourceau - 2010 Fiddle Immersion Weekend
Mark Finnan, John Hoffman, Glen Caradus 'The Corktown Man, in Story and Song' and
   'Music, poetry and song related to the life of D'Arcy McGee. October 2010
Patrick Ourceau - 2011 Fiddle Immersion Weekend
Liz and Yvonne Kane, and Edel Fox. 2011 Fiddle, Concertina and Repertoire worshops, and House Concert

Harp of Tara organized and hosted very special days for the Kingston Céilí Band 20th Anniversary in 2002, and the 25th Anniversary, September 30th 2007

Irish Dance Workshops

Timmy McCarthy 2003
Yutaka Usui and Doriane Renecker 2003, 2005
Regular workshops with Maureen Mulvey, Canada's Irish Dance Master
Workshop with Irish Dance Master Pádraig McEneany, July 2010

Irish Language

Conversational Irish Language Classes - beginner, intermediate and advanced, have been held during the winter months since 1994.
International Irish Language Immersion Weekends have been held since 1996, and
Annual Gaeltacht Irish Language Immersion Weeks, since 2004

Regular activities

Harp of Tara has hosted a year-round weekly slow session since 2001. Friendly, social, a welcoming way for beginning musicians to experience the joys of irish music and sessions, or for experienced musicians from other traditions to develop the Irish repertoire.
Another opportunity to get out and play some tunes is our regular 3rd Sunday Siamsa, which has been running at the Brew Pub since 2000
With a mandate, among others, to promote Uilleann pipes, Harp of Tara has taken the lead in the promotion of the Uilleann pipes, with workshops with master pipers
Weekly Dance Practice We have been getting together to learn and enjoy Irish Social Dance for 9 years
Monthly Céilí. The principal social event for Irish Music and Dance in Kingston has been running since 2001.

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