International singer songwriter Karan Casey is inviting people to come to Ireland and enjoy an epic 10-day tour - this marks a unique opportunity - a guided tour around Ireland - (north, south, east & west!) - on a trip that truly delves into a deep appreciation of the music, the culture, the history of Ireland, and more.
Karan’s vision for this brilliant tour reflects the weave of her life as an artist - a singer with an astonishing voice and track record grounded in Ireland’s musical tradition she continues to blaze an innovative trail drawing on many strands of culture - song-writing, historical song research, cutting edge theatre endeavours, poetry - and more. On our travels - across hidden streets & hinterlands of West Clare, Ennis, Limerick, Sligo, Derry, Belfast, Dublin, and beyond — the most amazing stories will unfold for us from a rich tapestry of cultural quests. Karan will bring her fresh historical focus on the fascinating female historical characters from 1916 to now - an aspect of this terrific trip that will (literally) give voice to the unsung heroines of the Rising. Introducing people to a more modern radical version of Ireland and to talk crucially about more recent history and about today.
At the heart of the tour will be a conversation about song, why we sing, visiting the places that are in the songs and the people connected to them. Karan’s PhD research examined the power of song in Irish society – songs are deeply intertwined into almost every aspect of Irish life. Extending from these conversations will be music sessions and/or nightly concerts, hosted by many of Karan’s musical compatriots around the country - our tour experience enriched by the joy of listening to brilliant live music that’s lit by the flame of bright connection between artists. By day we will be exposed to some of the most intelligent minds in the fields of history, music, poetry, politics, archaeology and more, meeting highly-acclaimed commentators with cutting-edge insight & authenticity. By night we will experience the best of 4-star hotel hospitality, fine group dining and accommodation that is far from shabby! From Ireland’s high-profile monuments, museums and galleries to the hidden gems of pre-historic artefacts scattered in glorious nonchalance across stunningly beautiful landscapes - you might yearn to crawl through a neolithic tomb on the top of a mountain, or stroll in Georgian splendour across Dublin’s National Art Gallery - the options are endless. As part of the tour team we are delighted to welcome Deirdre Cronin who has twenty year’s experience and expertise working on her cousin Mick Moloney’s Irish Folklore Tours.
Join Karan in a trip that celebrates an Ireland spilling with colourful characters that carry an awful lot of cultural wealth, funny stories, and a rich linguistic way of telling them. As our former Ireland Professor of Poetry Paula Meehan said:
“I am a blind woman finding my way home
By the map of a tune
When the song that is in me
Is the song I hear from the world.”
(from "Home" By Paula Meehan.)