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Binneas in partnership with the OPW Historic Buildings have created the Daniel O’Connell Heritage trail celebrating the life of Daniel O’Connell in music, song & story.
The trail is in the gardens of Derrynane House and the official launch is on Saturday 5th June 2026 at 2.30pm.
Can anyone help me find the location of Herbert Hughes’s diaries and journals, specifically his original field notes/notebooks from his Irish folksong-collecting trips. In particular, the material relating to ‘Irish Country Songs Volume 4 – 1936). Some of this material was collected in South Kerry.
A gentleman by the name of Christopher Orr gave a talk which was shown on Youtube I think, a few years back, about the song ‘She moved through the fair’. In his talk he refers to Herbert Hughes and as far as I can gather, he may be related. The information he had makes me think he had access to the field notes of Herbert Hughes.
Please share with anyone who might be able to help.
Many thanks.
Binneas ‘A life in Song’ Taifeadtaí Mholly Coey
Satharn 7ú Márta, 8pm Halla Pobail Bhaile an Sceilg
Bí linn doíche thaitneamhach amhránaíochta agus ceoil ag ceiliúradh oidhreacht Mholly
Coey ó Imleach na Muc
Sheila Burns agus Binneas a bheidh i mbun na hoíche
Ceol agus amhráin áitiúla á seinnt ag Peter & Rosaleen Mullarkey agus a gcairde
Éigse na Brídeoige 2026
An File a Shéid Isteach: Paddy Bushe as an Iveragh Writer
Click the link to view the program - https://www.eigsenabrideoige.com
Amhrán A Bhríd a Mhuire na nGael - Rosaleen Mullarkey (Recorded live at the 25th Éigse)
The night of the big wind ‘Oíche na Gaoithe Móire’.
Was the most devastating storm ever recorded in Irish history. The hurricane of 6th and 7th January 1839 made more people homeless in a single night than all the sorry decades of eviction that followed it. The calm before the Big Wind struck was particularly eerie. Most of the eight million people living in Ireland at the time were preparing themselves for Little Christmas, the Feast of the Epiphany.
The 5th had seen the first snowfall of the year; heavy enough for some to build snowmen. By the following day, Sunday morning was unusually warm along the west coast and the air was still. At approximately 3pm, the rain began to fall and the wind picked up. Nobody could possibly have predicted that those first soft raindrops signified an advance assault from the most terrifying hurricane in human memory. By 6pm, the winds had become strong and the raindrops were heavier, with occasional bursts of hail and sleet. From the West an increasingly loud rumble could be heard.
By 10pm, Ireland was in the throes of a ferocious cyclone that would continue unabated until 6am. The hurricane had roared unmolested across 3,000 miles of Atlantic Ocean, gathering momentum every second. It hit Ireland’s west coast with such power that the waves actually broke over the top of the Cliffs of Moher. Reading contemporary accounts, the impression is that if Ireland did not have such magnificent cliffs forming a barrier along our west coast, the entire country would simply have been engulfed by water.
Stories of the events that night were shared by story-tellers up to modern times.
‘The talking Jackdaw’ is one such story told by Matt Joe O’Neill from the Binneas Collection that can be heard here.
The Kerry Christmas Carol
(Sigerson Clifford)
Artist: Rosaleen Mullarkey
A Tribute to a Friend of ‘The Binneas Collection’
We remember with great warmth and gratitude June O’Connell (Andy) from Cahersiveen who understood something deeply important: that the heritage of a place is not found only in books, buildings, or official records, but lives in the voices, stories, songs, music and language of its people.
She recognised the extraordinary cultural wealth of this part of Kerry and understood the importance of preserving it for generations to come. In particular, she appreciated the value of the folk songs and musical traditions that have been carried through the generations — songs that tell the history of a community in a way that no written account ever could.
June and her husband Pat’s support for the Binneas Collection was an expression of that understanding. They recognised that collecting, recording and preserving these songs and memories was not simply an exercise in looking back. It was a way of safeguarding the identity and character of the area, ensuring that the voices of those who came before us would continue to be heard.
They also understood the special place of the Irish language within that heritage. Language, music and memory are inseparable, and the preservation of one strengthens our connection with the others. Their appreciation of this cultural legacy reflected a genuine love and respect for the people and traditions of Cahersiveen and the wider Iveragh community.
Those who contribute to collections such as Binneas do more than preserve material from the past. They help to keep a living tradition alive. Through her encouragement and support, June has played a part in ensuring that the musical and cultural heritage of the area would not be forgotten.
We are grateful for that generous support, and for the understanding that lay behind it.
Their contribution to Binneas will remain part of the story of this place — a reminder of someone who valued where she came from, respected the voices of those who came before, and understood the importance of passing that legacy on.
May she rest in peace, and may the songs, stories, music and language she helped to value continue to resonate in Cahersiveen and beyond.
Peter Mullarkey & Comhchoiste Ghaeltacht Uíbh Ráthaigh