Marcas Ó Murchú facts for kids

Marcas Ó Murchú is an Irish flute player from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He is known for his amazing talent with the flute, a type of woodwind instrument. In 1997, he released his album called Ó Bhéal go Béal. Later, in 2013, he was given a very special title: "Chief Bard of Irish Music."

Marcas Ó Murchú: Music and Achievements

Marcas Ó Murchú earned the title of Music Laureate Ard-Ollamh, or "Chief Bard of Irish Music," at the All-Ireland fleadh cheoil in 2013. This important award recognized his many contributions to Irish music. He was honored for his success in teaching music to others. He also helped promote the Irish language through his music programs. These programs were broadcast on BBC and RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta. His research into Irish music history was also a big part of this recognition.

Teaching and Research Work

Before focusing fully on music, Ó Murchú taught at several universities. He lectured in Spanish at BIFHE Belfast Institute. He also taught music at Ulster University and Limerick University. In addition, he taught the Irish language and its literature at Magee College in Derry. His historical research included studies on Irish chieftains from the 1600s. This research was even published in a large book of essays by Ulster University.

Broadcasting and Performances

Ó Murchú has appeared on many traditional music shows on BBC. These include programs like Musical Traditions and 'Seinn liom'. On these shows, he shares stories about his journey in music. He often talks about how the blind composer, Josie McDermott, inspired his flute playing.

He has also performed many times on TG4, an Irish-language television channel. He even presented several programs there, such as Geantraí. Marcas Ó Murchú is also well-known for his weekly summer radio show. This show, called Turas Ceoil, is broadcast on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta. It focuses on different aspects of Irish music.

Special Musical Projects

Marcas Ó Murchú was the solo flute player for a special musical piece. This was the third movement of Shaun Davey's "Relief of Derry." It was originally written for a different instrument, the uilleann pipes. In 2014, he played solo flute with a huge orchestra of 500 flute players. This large performance was held to raise money for charity.

He has also made a significant contribution to preserving Irish music. He donated over 700 hours of his own field recordings. These recordings are now kept at the Irish Traditional Music Archive in Dublin. They help preserve traditional Irish music for future generations.

Marcas Ó Murchú: Personal Life

Marcas Ó Murchú lives in Derry, a city in Northern Ireland. Before he retired in 2019, he taught at St Columb's College. There, he taught both Spanish and Irish.

External links

• Cló Iar-Chonnachta, his record label
• A Guide to the Irish Flute: recommended flute players