Donegal’s Deirdre McGrory and Caitlín Nic Gabhann receive Arts Council funding (cloned)
The annual Deis Recording and Publication Award supports standalone traditional arts recording projects, as well as collaborative recording projects between the traditional arts and other artforms
Donegal artists Deirdre McGrory and Caitlín Nic Gabhann are two of the fifteen successful applicants to receive up to €10,000 from the Arts Council for a traditional arts recording project.
Deirdre McGrory is an Inishowen-based singer and tin whistle player, with a vocal style deeply rooted in Irish traditional singing. A graduate of the Irish World Academy, she released her debut EP Loinnir with her sister Ella in 2021.
Performance highlights include appearing as a vocalist and orchestra member with the Inishowen Trad Orchestra and Choir at the National Concert Hall in 2022. She performed as a soloist with the Brodsky Quartet in 2022.
She appeared on TG4’s Ceol ón Earagail in 2024 and featured in the film Between Two Worlds exploring the Honoria Galwey Collections in 2025. Recent performances include WexTrad Weekend with 3 on the Bund, Na Píobairí Uilleann’s Session with the Pipers and Inishowen Singing Weekend in 2026.
Alongside performing, Deirdre has worked across community arts, music tuition and traditional music development in Donegal and Belfast.
Caitlín Nic Gabhann is a concertina player, performer, teacher, composer and percussive dancer. Having toured for years as a dancer with Riverdance, three- time All-Ireland concertina champion Caitlín is a regular performer at festivals and concert halls from North America to Asia over the last 15 years. Caitlín’s life’s work to date has been recognised with her being chosen as UCC Traditional Artist in Residence for 2022.
Caitlín is married to fiddle player and documentary maker Ciarán Ó Maonaigh and they have three-year old twins, Rosie and Frankie.
From their home in the Donegal Gaeltacht she runs IrishConcertinaLessons.com, a complete online resource for concertina learning, with Starter, Improver and Advanced courses, which currently has hundreds of subscribers in 32 countries.
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She is also director of the Wild Atlantic Concertina Week, a week of music and local culture in Gaoth Dobhair that attracts international attendants annually. Caitlín is a first class honours graduate.
The annual Deis Recording and Publication Award supports standalone traditional arts recording projects, as well as collaborative recording projects between the traditional arts and other artforms.
The full list of this year’s awardees for the recording and publication award is: Nollaig Casey, Aidan Connolly, Seamas Hyland, Catherine McHugh, Sárán Ó Maolagáin, Fintan Vallely, Niamh Dunne, Úna Monaghan, Ciarán Fitzgerald, Lamond Gillespie, Caroline Keane, Fergus McGorman, Deirdre McGrory, Caitlín Nic Gabhann and John Spillane.
These recording projects are vital to the preservation and transmission of traditional oral artforms, which often face unique archival challenges and can struggle to reach general audiences. The award also prioritises projects which centre on the publication of work such as tutors, tune collections and critical writing. This further benefits the traditional arts community by expanding the resources available to artists of all levels.