Award-winning Limerick musician in contention for prestigious Seán Ó Riada award

A LIMERICK student is one of 13 contestants from across the country competing to win the prestigious Seán O Riada Bonn Óir Competition. It's a traditional music competition that focuses on a different instrument every year over a four-year cycle and this time features the metal reed instruments – the accordion, concertina, harmonica.

Pallasgreen native Ciarán O'Connell is a Button Accordion player and an Uilleann Piper will compete at the event on Friday. Currently in his final year of study in the BA in Irish Music at the University of Limerick in the Irish World Academy of Music, he is also a member of rising band Alltacht.

Ciarán is an accomplished performer, having toured in Egypt, America, England, Italy and Germany, and he also has two All Ireland titles to his name. Ciarán is the Youth officer for Limerick Comhaltas, a member of the National Folk Orchestra of Ireland and teaches regularly with Craobh Pheig Uí Riain CCÉ, Music Generation Tipperary and in his own private lessons.

The Seán O Riada Bonn Óir Competition is due to take place in the Rochestown Park Hotel in Cork on Friday. There is an eclectic group of finalists in this year's competition with competitors from all corners of Ireland and two musicians travelling from the US to take part in the final competition which will be broadcast live on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta.

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The competition has been running since 2010  and is renowned for attracting a large number of talented musicians from at home and abroad. It is organised by Peadar O Riada in part to bring together the listenership of his Cuireadh Chun Ceoil Programme broadcast on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta every Friday night. The judges this year are the well known concertina player Mary McNamara and accordion players Johnny Óg Connolly and Danny O Mahony

There will be one overall prize for the metal reed winner with seven finalists in the concertina, seven finalists in the accordion and one playing harmonica. The winner will be presented with a bespoke Gold medal designed by Niamh Utsch, and a cash prize of €2,500. Event organiser and presenter Peadar Ó Riada said that they're "very pleased that the competition is going from strength to strength with entrants from all over the world and two American finalists in the competition this year.”

He added that the standard is very high. "We are particularly happy to see the younger generation attending the concert every year even when their own instrument doesn’t feature they come back to meet up with each other and to play in the music session afterwards, we look forward to hearing great music again on the night.”

Tickets for the event can be purchased at the door for €10 and those attending the concert can avail of a special room rate at the Rochestown Park Hotel on the night.

The competition will be broadcast live on RTÉ Raidio na Gaeltachta and streamed online.

The event is sponsored by RnaG, Comhaltas, Gael Linn, IMRO,Rochestown Park Hotel and Iontaobhas Fódhla.