The Frank Finn Tradidional Singing Weekend
Frank Finn Traditional Singing Weekend 2025
3rd to 5th October 2025 Cawleys Hotel Tubbercurry Co.Sligo
Special Guest: Elizabeth Healy
Elizabeth was born in Dublin and has lived for many years in Westport Co. Mayo. Elizabeth has been singing from a very young age. Her range of musical interests include traditional and folk music as well as jazz, americana and French chansons.
Elizabeth has been a member of a variety of groups and choirs over the years, including Wesport’s Bluegrass/country group, “Wild Blue Yonder” and Jazz trio Wabi Sabi. Currently she sings in the acclaimed choir, Cor Mhaigheo.
Elizabeth also sings solo, both at singing circles and at music and other sessions. she was invited Guest Singer at An Coilin and at Ciorcal in falcarragh, Co Donegal in 2023.
Recently, she developed a fascination for the group of traditional songs known as Revenant Songs, and following considerable research into the genre, developed a presentation/workshop, which she presented at Westival (Wesport Arts Festival) and Drogheda Traditional Music and Singing Weekend in autumn 2024, and at the San francisco based Spring Harmony Festival online this year and the regular ballad Zoom online singing in June 2025.
Elizabeth continues to explore traditional and folk music and to further develop her Revenant Songs project.
We are delighted to have Elizabeth with us this year for the frank Finn Traditional Singing Weekend where she will share with us her fascination for an important, though largely unexplored aspect of our musical and cultural heritage, the genre of traditional songs known as Revenant Songs
The talk is on Saturday 4th October 2025 in Cawleys hotel Tubbercurry 7.30 to 9.00pm. everybody is welcome to this event.
The entire Frank Finn Traditional Singing weekend is free to attend and take part or just listen.
4th to the 6th October 2024 at Cawleys Hotel Tubbercurry Co.Sligo,
Special Guest: Declan Coyne
Declan is a founder member of the South Roscommon Singers Circle and is the driving force behind the group. He has published several books.He is a singer, storyteller and composer. His own compositions “The Burning of Knockcroghery” and “The Ballad of Lady Betty”, among others, are a testament to his songwriting skills. He has a fine singing voice and a great knowledge of Irish traditional songs. Declan’s version of Sean Mone’s “Rosalita and Jack Campbell” and “The Last Minstrel Show” are well worth a listen.
We are delighted to welcome Declan as our special guest at the18th Annual Frank Finn Traditional Singing Festival in Cawleys Hotel Tubbercurry from the 4th to the 6th October 2024.
2023
Special Guests Joe O’Connor, Barney Murphy, Vince Hearns
Joe O’Connor from Miltown Malbay is a retired secondary teacher and Comhaltas Reachtaire. He has been to the fore of traditional music, singing and recitation for decades. he has been a musican, raconteur, singer, patron, collector and archivist, linguist, poet and inspirational educator.
Barney Murphy is from Newtownbutler in Fermanagh, and is well known in Traditional Singing Circles and Singing Weekends throughout the country. He was awarded the “Keeper of Tradition” at the Ulster Singers Weekend at An Creggan Centre. Barney has a rich quality voice in a great traditional style.
Vince Hearns.Vince Hearns is a not so good singer (His words) who lives in Sligo! A producer and presenter of 1700 hours of traditional Irish music on local radio. He has researched and produced 3 radio programmes on the music and song of the travelling people. Currently he produces and presents “Cois na Tine” on Ocean fm. He is a retired Reachtaire of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann. He is PRO for the Sligo Traditional Singers Circle.
Coney Island Trip
Frank Carter has had a lifelong relationship With Coney Island and its people and will be delighted to give a guided tour of the Island for participants attending the Frank Finn Traditional Singing Festival.
All events free of charge. All singers and listeners welcome!
Accommodation:
reservations@sligosouthernhotel.ie
http://www.sligosouthernhotel.ie
Tel: 0719162101
F91EW24
Festival Launch 2022
Alan Woods is a singer from Co. Leitrim. He currently resides in Dublin, where he works with the Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA). His work with the ITMA includes field recording at traditional music events around the country, conducting interviews with traditional musicians and presenting lectures on topics related to Irish music. Alan is also a co-organiser of The Night Before Larry Got Stretched, a singing collective which hosts a monthly singing session in The Cobblestone pub, Smithfield.
At the Frank Finn Singing Weekend 2022, Alan will present an illustrated lecture highlighting song based collections which are held in the ITMA collection. This overview will include a look at audio, video and print based material which feature Irish traditional song.
Mattie Jó Shéamuis Ó Fátharta is from Na hAille in Connemara, Co. Galway, and is a well-known and respected figure in music circles throughout this country and further afield. He is an acclaimed sean-nós singer, and won Corn Uí Riada, the All-Ireland sean-nós competition, in 2001. He is also a skilled instrumentalist, and plays flute and uilleann pipes.
Joe Neary is an excellent storyteller from Bofield (near Attymass), Co Mayo. He is a regular contributor to our monthly singing sessions. Joe comes from a family steeped in traditional music and he himself is an accomplished musician. He runs regular sessions in the Fr. Peyton Centre, Attymass.
Schedule outline
Friday– (Evening) – Welcome & Singing Session @ Yeats Country Hotel
Saturday– (Morning) visit to Coney Island: Workshop & Singing Session
Saturday-(Afternoon) Session @ Harrys Bar, Rosses Point
Saturday-(Evening) Lecture & Singing Session @ Yeats Country Hotel
Sunday– (Morning) Singing Session & Farewell
More details to follow…
Sligo Traditional Singers Circle
Sligo Traditional Singers Circle was set up to nurture and promote the art of traditional singing and storytelling in Sligo and surrounding areas. The Singing Circle welcomes all singers, storytellers and supporters to come, enjoy, and perhaps join in the activities.
Sligo has a rich culture of traditional music, song and story telling. At our sessions you will hear many songs, some you will recognise, some you will never have heard before, stories of Ireland, past and present. So whether you are local or a visiting tourist you are sure to enjoy the session.
Monthly Sessions
We meet the second Wednesday of every month to sing and exchange songs and stories in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere in Durkin’s Pub in the small village of Ballinacarrow, 10 miles south of Sligo town. We have visited schools, local nursing homes and hospitals to entertain and promote singing and story telling. We regularly feature special guests at our monthly sessions.
Singing Circles
We maintain a close association with similar singing communities, such as Boyle Singers, South Roscommon Singers, Ciorcal na n-Amhran Falcarragh, Creggan, Co. Derry and Fermanagh Singers. We regularly visit these singing sessions which strengthens the bonds of friendship and the sharing of songs and stories with other singing circles.
Sligo Traditional Singing Weekend
In 2007, we organised our inaugural Sligo Traditional Singing Weekend in Sligo town. This was a great success and attracted singers from all over Ireland, both North and South. There were in excess of 75 singers and listeners at each of our singing sessions. We repeated this exercise on the first weekend of October every year since, proving a major success, and attracting singers from Ireland and abroad. At least 30 rooms are occupied in the Yeats Country Hotel in Rosses Point for the festival. There are bookings in B &B’s and and up to a dozen Camper Vans parked at the hotel.
At the Festival weekend we provide singing sessions, singing workshops, story telling and scholarly lectures with invited speakers..
A field trip to Coney Island is always included where we have workshops and a sing song before returning to the mainland for our afternoon singing session.
Sligo Traditional Singers 