Remembering Miche‡l î hEidhin

A ceremony took place in Dublin last week in memory of the late Micheál Ó hEidhin, from Spiddal, who worked as a teacher and Department of Education Music Inspector.

Micheál, who was born in 1938 and died last January, played the concertina, piano and piano accordion and launched an award-winning CD Ceol Sidhe, in 2011. He was a collector of music and Irish language songs. His best known collection of songs, Cas Amhrán, was published in 1976 and distributed by the Department of Education to every primary and post-primary school in Ireland. It is still widely used today.

Micheál combined his experience in education and his love for Irish music to devise a groundbreaking course for certification in the teaching of Irish traditional music, an Teastas i dTeagasc Ceolta Tíre (TTCT). This certificate in teaching folk music, which is believed to be the first of its kind in Europe, was first run in 1980. He designed the syllabus for the Scrúdú Ceoil Tíre Exam System which was the first formal exam in Irish traditional music.

Micheál had many friends throughout Brittany and his links with Lorient date back to his great friendship with Polig Montjarret, a founding member of Festival Interceltique de Lorient. Micheál was highly respected as an adjudicator at home in Ireland and in Lorient for such competitions as The Macallan/Mc Crimmon Trophy for pipers and Loic Raison Trophy for Celtic groups, La Bolée des Korrigans. Micheál designed the rules and regulations for this competition where groups perform Celtic music respectful to tradition but open as well to contemporary styles and instruments.

Micheál’s dream was to establish workshops in Irish traditional music, language and dance at Festival Interceltique de Lorient. Many visitors to the festival over the past 30 years benefited from this realisation. Sadly, Micheál passed away on January 29 and for his many friends, it was a lonely return to the Lorient Festival in August without his presence.

However, all are proud to carry on with Micheál’s work ensuring the perpetuation of his vision – the preservation of Irish traditional music, language and song and its development into the future. By Mary Murray and Kathleen Nesbitt.