Two Mayo musicians among 15 finalists for Seán Ó Riada Gold Medal competition

Two Mayo musicians will be amongst the 15 finalists competing for the Seán Ó Riada Gold Medal in the Rochestown Park Hotel in Cork next week.

The final of the competition will take place on Friday, February 7, and will be broadcast live on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta.

Shauna Bolger from Parke, Castlebar, is one of the youngest competitors at just 16 years old. She comes from a family steeped in traditional music and started playing the flute when she was eight.

Shauna’s parents play, as do her two brothers Jeremy and Mark, and they regularly play together as a group at sessions in local pubs and hotels. Shauna has won the flute solo competitions at both county and Connaught level over the years, and won the Keadue Flute Competition (Under 19) in 2018 and 2019.

Jillian O’Malley from Louisburgh will also compete in the final, her second time to do so as she qualified in 2016 as well. Jillian teaches music at festivals across the country and has won many awards, including the senior flute title in 2013 at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.

She is heavily involved in the organisation of the annual Féile Chois Cuain festival in Louisburgh. Jillian is currently living in Newmarket-on-Fergus in Co. Clare, where she works as a freelance translator.

Michael Walsh will be travelling from Sheffield in England to compete, but he has Mayo roots - his father is from Carnacon. Michael is a member of the Leeds Céilí Band and released his solo album, Quarehawk, last year. He’s a doctoral researcher in the Music Department in the University of Sheffield.

Judges for the competition this year will include Gary Hastings, who was Rector in Westport for 14 years until 2009. Gary, together with fellow esteemed musicians Michael Tubridy and Mary Bergin, will have the difficult job of choosing the winner, and the criteria will include not only technical proficiency but playing that demonstrates musicality and soul as well. The winner will take home the prestigious Seán Ó Riada Gold Medal, as well as €2,500.

Peadar Ó Riada will present the final live from the Rochestown Park Hotel from 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday, February 7. As part of the weekend there will be a musicians’ conference on Saturday morning (February 8) in the hotel, and the Coirm Órdha concert with past winners, including box player Keelan McGrath and harper Úna Ní Fhlannagáin, will take place that night.