TG4 Christmas Special

We have been busy bees here in Red Shoe over the past few months with the production of some fantastic programmes just in time for Christmas on TG4.

Our hugely successful traditional music series “Hup” will culminate in a very special episode from Kinvara, Co. Galway on Christmas Day at 21.15. Like the other episodes in the series, there is music and song pouring joyously from every nook and cranny in the town! Comedian Pat Shortt enjoys a few tunes on the Sax in local haunt “Tullys” while popular singer and songwriter Declan O’Rourke pops into his local cafe “The Gentian” for coffee, a cream bun and a song. Veteran concertina player Chris Droney welcomes his grandson Cathal into his Bellharbour house for a few tunes and Grammy winning banjo genius Bela Fleck, joined by his talented wife Abigail Washburn visit the nearby Clareen Banjo workshop where they give us a rendition of a traditional Bluegrass Christmas song. The Glackin family come together for a special one-off session in “Connolly’s”, while Mairtín O’Connor and friends with the Con Tempo Quartet pay a visit to nearby Dunguaire Castle for a performance of the beautiful Mrs. Crofton. Other musicians include Dermot Byrne, Floriane Blancke, Brendan O’Regan, The Lismorauhan singers, Mick Kinsella and Steve Larkin, Tara Howley, Bríd Ní Mhaolchiarain, Cathal Hayden and Garry O’Briain.

A very special edition of Imeall on Thursday 17th December celebrates one of Ireland’s most popular and successful bands of all time The Hothouse Flowers, who are celebrating their 30th anniversary this year. Having performed all over the world and reached number one in the charts as far away as Australia, the band have marked this year with a number of sell-out tours. They talk to Tristan Rosenstock about their musical journey so far and we are treated to a studio session with the band as well as a spontaneous busking session on Grafton Street.

On St. Stephen’s Night, the career of ceili musician Matt Cunningham will be celebrated. In 2015 Matt celebrated 50 years in music with a weekend of music, song and dance in his home town of Headford. We were there to capture this unique event which will be the backdrop to this captivating documentary, ‘Rí na Seite’. Matt has become a household name in the Irish music world and he is one of the most popular performers within the set & céilí dancing scene and a pioneer where his recordings for dancers are concerned. Matt’s recordings are responsible in their own way for the preservation and popularisation of set & céilí dancing across the globe and we talk to dance teachers and dancers alike about his influence.

So there you have it – plenty to be keeping you all entertained over the festive season! As they say in TG4 – Bigí Linn!