The region known as Sliabh Luachra occupies the rural area where the counties of Cork, Kerry and Limerick meet. While it is not clearly defined, the region encompasses villages such as Scartaglin, Cordal, Brosna, Rockchapel, Newmarket, Ballydesmond, Gneeveguilla and Knocknagree and more. Sliabh Luachra has become synonymous with a unique style of traditional Irish music and repertoire which has a broad palette of dance music types.
There is a vast amount of exponents of local music within the area and we are slowly publishing some them on our record label.
Among the most noted exponents of the Sliabh Luachra style include Julia Clifford, Denis Murphy, Padraig O’Keeffe, Johnny O’Leary, Paddy Cronin, Jackie Daly. You can get a great sense of the wealth of music by looking through the musicians biographies on World Fiddle Day Scartaglin website or listening to the great archive of rare music collected in the Handed Down Sliabh Luachra Archive.
Extract from ‘Musical Sliabh Luachra’ by Donal Hickey of the Cumann Luachra.
Sliabh Luachra has its own distinct brand of traditional music which is copied on a national scale. The great composer Sean O’Riada, found material and inspiration in the area while natives, like the late Padraig O’Keeffe and Denis Murphy, are nowadays recognised as being among the finest ever exponents of our music. Music from the district can be heard almost daily on Radio Telefis Eireann. Titles of many tunes played by leading groups and individuals echo of people like Din Tarrant and Tom Billy Murphy and of places such as Toormore and Scartaglen. In fact, nowadays Sliabh Luachra is best known for its music.