December 4th, 2002
TG4 Gradam Ceoil 2002

The 5th annual TG4 Gradam Ceoil, Irish Music Awards ceremony, took place at the Cork Opera House on Saturday 16th November last. Sponsored by Ireland’s national language television station, TG4, the annual awards give due recognition to those who have shone in the world of traditional Irish music.

Selected by a group of independent adjudicators, they have been an unparalleled success and have sparked major international interest since their inception in 1998. Previous recipients have included such iconic figures as Matt Molloy, Tommy Peoples, Mary Bergin and Maire Ní Chathasaigh.

This year’s awards, which consisted of five categories, were initially announced at a press reception in Longford town on the 28th of September. The main category, Ceoiltóir na Bliana (Musician of the Year) went to famed uilleann piper, Paddy Keenan. Keenan, who now resides in the US, was a most deserving choice having been at the forefront of Irish music since his days with the legendary Bothy Band. His prize included a cheque for €4000 along with a specially commissioned piece of sculpture by the artist, John Coll.

Ceoiltóir Óg na Bliana (Young Musician of the Year) is one of the most interesting categories giving mention each year to one of the many rising stars in traditional music. Previous winners have included concertina player Aogán Lynch, who now plays with the innovative young group, Slide and Belfast fiddle player, Méabh Ó Hare who has gone on to present and produce Irish music television programs and documentaries.

This year’s winner was the exceptional young fiddle player Liam O’Connor from Dublin City. At nineteen years of age, Liam has been hailed as one of the most exciting fiddle players on the scene since the emergence of the likes of Frankie Gavin and Sean Keane some thirty years ago.

Brendan Tonra, originally from County Mayo but a resident in Boston for many years now, has been a well known and prolific composer of Irish music for many years. However, as with many composers of Irish music, due credit for his music has evaded him over the years. Tonra’s award, Cumadóir na Bliana (Composer of the Year), at this year’s TG4 awards, was a fitting tribute to one of the most important figures in Irish music.

Singer and song collector, Len Graham was awarded Amhránaí na Bliana (Traditional Singer of the Year) for his immense contribution to traditional singing for over thirty years. Graham is a vital source for many of today’s well-known singers as well as being a highly respected singer in his own right.

The final award, Gradam Saoil (Hall of Fame), went to the prince of Sligo flute playing, Peter Horan. The name Peter Horan has for many years been synonymous with South Sligo music, an area which claims such luminaries as Martin Wynne and Michael Coleman. Horan, also a noted fiddle player, opted not to travel to the US during the mass emigration of the 1940’s and has since been a steadfast exponent of one of the most identifiable styles in Irish music.


All five awards were presented during a special concert held at the magnificent Cork Opera House, the chosen venue for the TG4 awards ceremony for the past three years. Indeed, the event was made all the more special as TG4 in conjunction with the CIT Arts Fest presented three free concerts of the best in Irish music during the afternoon. These were given by the O’Dhomhnaill sisters, Maighréad & Tríona, flautist Emer Mayock and impressive young fiddle player Zoë Conway.

The evening concert in the main auditorium was recorded live for broadcast on TG4 the following evening. While this certainly added an extra prestige to the evening, it evidently hampered some of the performers who were obviously not at one with their slightly intimidating surroundings. Nonetheless, some sterling performances were put in, as all five recipients graced the stage complimented by some special guests on the night including the Donegal/Kerry group, Beginish, Nollaig Ní Chathasaigh & Arty Mc Glynn, Noel Hill, Paddy Glackin, Matt Molloy, John Carty and many more.

As Paddy Keenan arrived on stage to collect the main prize of the evening, the prospects of a Bothy Band reunion were imminent. But alas, as with many previous attempts at gathering Irish music’s most influential band of all time together, it was not to be complete. While Keenan, Matt Molloy, Paddy Glackin (the group’s original fiddle player), Tríona & Mícheal Ó Dhomhnaill all took to the stage, the missing link this time round was Donal Lunny. However, his younger brother Manus, of Capercaillie fame, filled the void on this particular night as the sextet gave a nostalgic rendition of The Kesh Jig, one of the band’s signature sets from their heyday of the late 1970’s. The concert climaxed with all the evening’s performers arriving on stage for the customary grand finale.

The TG4 Gradam Ceoil is now firmly established as one of the most important events of the year on the Irish Music calendar and, more importantly, it continues to award some of the country’s outstanding performers with appreciation that has eluded them for far too long.