Compass Ceoil, produced by Éamonn de Barra for RTÉ Lyric FM
Compass Ceoil is a four-part documentary series on the history of Irish music. The program is hosted by Moya Brennan of Clannad. She is joined by a star-studded lineup of guests including Paddy Moloney (Chieftains), John Sheahan (Dubliners), Donal Lunny (Planxty/Bothy Band), Nicholas Carolan (ITMA), and Colin Dunne (Riverdance). Produced by Éamonn de Barra at Digital Audio Productions for RTÉ Lyric FM - Lyric FM Producer Eoin Brady - made with the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland's Sound and Vision Broadcasting Funding Scheme. RTÉ Libraries and Archives provided archive material.
Compass Ceoil Episode 1
Director of the Irish Traditional Music Archive, Nicholas Carolan, explains how traditional music in Ireland dates back to the middle Stone-Age and talks about the crucial work done by collectors such as Bunting, O'Neill and Breathnach in preserving the music. Cormac de Barra talks about the history of some of the instruments central to traditional music including our national emblem, the Irish harp.