This Halloween weekend, a unique performance and lecture by the “Ancient Music Ireland” team in Trim, Co. Meath, will showcase Ireland’s prehistoric and early medieval musical heritage through storytelling and the playing of replica ancient instruments.
On Friday, 1 November, Trim will host a unique and immersive performance by Simon and Maria O’Dwyer of Ancient Music Ireland as they present the story of Ireland’s musical past by blending live music with history, archaeology and storytelling.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
The showcase, scheduled for 2pm at the Swift Cultural Centre in Trim town, forms part of this year’s Púca Festival lecture series. Live upbeat performances using accurate replicas of ancient instruments found in various contexts throughout Ireland will take the audience on a historical musical journey through the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age, concluding in the early medieval period.
The replica instruments will include Bronze Age horns and trumpets found throughout Ireland, dating from c.1000 to 600 BC, as well as Iron Age parade and ceremonial trumpets – these are contemporary with well-known sites like the Hill of Ward, Tara and the Hill of Uisneach.
>>> RELATED: Bronze Age horns: Ireland’s oldest musical instruments
One of the highlights of this event will be the first public performance featuring a pair of replica Ard Brin Iron Age trumpets, recently reproduced from the original found in Co. Down (replica can be seen in the video below).
Early medieval horns, reminiscent of those depicted in the 8th-century Vespasian Psalter, will also be played.
Simon O’Dwyer, an accomplished historian, storyteller and musician, will guide the audience through Ireland’s rich history of musical innovation, sharing legends and insights into the instruments’ historical and cultural significance. The event promises an engaging experience for those interested in archaeology, anthropology, music, geography and science.
Tickets are priced at €15 and are available through the Swift Cultural Centre’s booking portal.
Sign up to our newsletter
Subscribe to the Irish Heritage News newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram and Threads for all the latest heritage stories.
READ NOW
➤ A real Halloween horror: the manslaughter case that shook Fermanagh in 1916
➤ Forgotten ghost story by Dracula author Bram Stoker rediscovered in Dublin library
➤ Irish Iron Age bog body “Clonycavan Man” wore exotic hair gel
➤ Excavations at Moylisha wedge tomb in Wicklow
➤ Mourning and warning: tracing the banshee in Mayo lore
A D V E R T I S E M E N T