We were in for such a treat in The Ark on Saturday as four of Ireland’s leading songstresses, Maighread and Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and Moya Brennan performed their Lullaby Concert for Temple Bar Trad Fest. It was a historic moment as these renowned Irish singers performed together for the first time during this sell out show. The audience were treated to a mix of traditional and newer songs in both Irish and English, including songs that had been written for them by their parents as well as songs they wrote for their own children. It was a special moment as the singers sang Two Sisters, commenting on how they themselves felt like four sisters on the stage together, being life long friends, and thought the song should be called Four Sisters instead. The audience were also invited to sing along and dance as the four singers guided them through the verses of another lullaby. The performance was such a success that the audience cried out for an encore, and were delighted when the performers were happy to comply and came back out to sing one more song.

The second concert of the day was also a huge success, when we were wowed by the talents of the young performers in Fionnuar, winners of the Siansa Gael Linn 2008 competition. These young musicians played an array of instruments, from bodhráns and guitars, to concertina, melodian and even the Uillean Pipes! We hope to hear much from this talented group in the future.