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<DIV><FONT face=Verdana color=#000000><STRONG>Irish World Academy Lunchtime Concert Series</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Verdana>March 2nd 2010, 1.15 pm, Performing Arts Centre, Foundation Building</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Verdana color=#000000 size=4><STRONG></STRONG></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Verdana color=#008080 size=4><STRONG>Mick and Michelle Mulcahy (accordion, harp)</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Verdana color=#008080 size=4><STRONG>Brian Finnegan (flute)</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#000000><FONT size=2>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:PersonName w:st="on"><SPAN lang=EN-US style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><STRONG>Michelle Mulcahy</STRONG></SPAN></st1:PersonName><SPAN lang=EN-US style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-US"> is a virtuosic multi-instrumentalist and one of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ireland</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s best-known traditional musicians. She started playing the accordion aged six and took up the harp at age ten and subsequently took up the fiddle, piano and concertina. She was named TG4 <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Young Traditional Musician of the Year</I> in 2006 and recently featured on Bill Whelan’s new album, <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">The Connemara Suite</I>, on a piece for harp and orchestra which he wrote for her.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>She is a member of a renowned west-Limerick traditional music family, and along with her with her father Mick and sister Louise, has recorded two highly-acclaimed albums <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">‘Notes from the Heart’</I> (Cló Iar-</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Chonnachta</SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-US">) and ‘Reeling in Tradition’ (Claddagh).<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>She is currently undertaking a Performance PhD at the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Irish</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">World</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Academy</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>. </SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"> Mick and <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Michelle Mulcahy</st1:PersonName>, along with Michelle's sister Louise, regularly perform in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Ireland</st1:country-region> the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region> and have an unmistakeable, infectious sound. As Martin Hayes writes,<EM> ‘I first became familiar with the music of Mick Mulcahy from his first solo recording... I remember that both my father and I felt that his music had a great depth of feeling. That same feeling that first made an impression on me has been handed on to his daughters and continues all the way through this recording.’</EM></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><EM></EM></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p><FONT face=Verdana><STRONG>Brian Finnegan</STRONG> is best-known as the brilliantly inventive flute player in the ground-breaking band <EM><STRONG>Flook,</STRONG> the band with whom </EM><SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">he has toured the world and recorded three highly acclaimed studio albums, <EM>Flatfish, Rubai</EM> and <EM>Haven.</EM> Collecting awards and a huge fan base wherever they toured, Flook were crowned BBC Band Of The Year 2006. Brian's music is forged from both his native Armagh and from his love of a wider musical tapestry. His traveling and touring in India and Eastern Europe had a deep and profound affect on his talent as a composer. In 2008 he was commissioned by The Sage Centre in Newcastle Upon Tyne to compose a piece for the opening of 'The <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Eighth</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Bridge</st1:PlaceType>', a major art installation across the river <st1:place w:st="on">Tyne</st1:place>. He has toured and recorded with many artists, including Cara Dillon and Kate Rusby, and at Celtic Connections 2008 premiered his northern big band, The Singing Tree; Brian's new album, 'The Ravishing Genius Of Bones' is being released in March 2010 and coincided with the formation of his new quartet KAN.<STRONG> </STRONG></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT face=Verdana><SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><STRONG></STRONG></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT face=Verdana><SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><STRONG>All welcome</STRONG></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT face=Verdana><SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><STRONG><FONT size=3>If you would like to receive a copy of the Irish World Academy's Spring events brochure, email </FONT><A href="mailto:ellen.byrne@ul.ie"><FONT size=3>ellen.byrne@ul.ie</FONT></A></STRONG></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
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