Feis Ceoil 130 | Modernisation and Global Reach: 1960s–1980s

In 2026, Feis Ceoil celebrates its 130th anniversary. To mark the occasion, Feis Ceoil and the National Gallery of Ireland are joining forces to showcase the intertwined history of music and visual art over this formative period in Ireland’s history. 

Four collaborative events will be held in the Gallery's Shaw Room over the course of 2026, featuring important Irish art and live performances by acclaimed Feis Ceoil alumni. Each event will include a presentation on selected artworks from the Gallery's collection, followed by a live classical performance by the featured artist, both commemorating a key period in Feis Ceoil’s history (1897- 2026).

The third in the series takes place on Thursday 1 October, exploring the theme of 'Modernisation and Global Reach: 1960s–1980s'. The evening will begin with a short presentation on the featured artwork with Sarah McAuliffe, Curator of Irish Art Post 1900, followed by a performance by featured performer Eimear McDonagh, who has devised a programme to entertain and inform, with representative composers from the featured era.  

• Featured artwork: Dáirine Vanston, Upon Huband Bridge, presented by Sarah McAuliffe, Curator of Irish Art Post 1900
• Featured performers: Eimear McDonagh (harp)

Programme:
André Caplet - Divertissement à la Française
Brian Boydell - A pack of Fancies for a Travelling Harper
Benjamin Britten - Suite for Harp, Op. 83
Toru Takemitsu - Stanza II

About the featured performers: 

Eimear McDonagh began her harp studies at the age of 11 with Denise Kelly McDonnell at TU Dublin Conservatoire, she began studying with Dr. Clíona Doris in 2020 for her Bachelor of Music degree in performance. She has been a prize winner at numerous competitions, including Feis Ceoil, the Wales International Harp Festival, the Camac London Harp Festival and the Concours Français de la Harpe. Eimear was previously Principal Harp of the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland and the Fleischmann Orchestra, under the direction of Keith Pascoe. As a soloist with the Fleischmann Orchestra, she performed Mozart’s Flute and Harp Concerto, and she has also given solo recitals as part of the St Anne’s Concert Series and at the Académies Internationales du Grand Paris. In 2023, Eimear performed in the premiere of Sam Perkin’s harp trio For Three Lever Harps at the West Cork Chamber Music Festival. She has taken part in masterclasses with leading harpists including Elizabeth Hainen, Isabelle Perrin, Fabrice Pierre, Agnès Clément and Anne-Sophie Bertrand, as well as a chamber music masterclass with Krzysztof Chorzelski of the Belcea Quartet at the National Concert Hall Chamber Music Festival. In 2025, Eimear moved to Paris to study at the École Normale de Musique de Paris – Alfred Cortot with Nicolas Tulliez. She is currently based in Paris, where she continues to develop her career as a harpist.