Cork tin whistle maestro win prestigious Bonn Óir gold medal
Eimhear Flannery from Rockchapel in North Cork was named the winner of the Seán Ó Riada Bonn Óir medal for traditional music after a concert of the finalists broadcast on RTÉ Ráidió na Gaeltachta on Friday from Cork's Rochestown Park Hotel. The contest is organised by RTÉ RnaG presenter Peadar Ó Riada.
It was a case of fourth time lucky for 20-year-old UCC pharmacy student and tin-whistle maestro from Rockchapel in north Cork, who was named the winner of the 2024 Seán Ó Riada Bonn Óir/Gold Medal traditional music competition after the final on Friday night.
It wasn’t the first time Eimhear Flannery had contested the final as she had previously reached the deciding bout of the prestigious competition in 2015, when, at 11, she was the youngest ever finalist. She also featured in the final in 2017 and 2021. On those occasions she was playing the concertina.
Each year the competition is aimed at exponents of different instruments, this year it was for tin whistle and flute/feadóg mhór players, last year it was the fiddle and next year it will be confined to harpists and uileann pipers.
Adjudicators Conal Ó Gráda, Mary Bergin and the Reverend Gary Hastings named Eimhear as the winner following a concert staged at Cork’s Rochestown Park Hotel and broadcast live on RTÉ Ráidió na Gaeltachta.
As well as a specially designed ‘Bonn Óir’ trophy, Eimhear was presented with a cheque for €2,500.
There were three other contestants from Cork in the final, which is customarily limited to 15. These were Éabha Ní Mhurchú from Ovens, Ellen de Búrca from Cill na Martra and Gormfhlaith Ní Shíocháin Ní Bheoláin from Fermoy.
The UCC student joins the ranks of previous winners of the competition, which is organised yearly by Peadar Ó Riada, the presenter of Cuireadh Chun Ceoil, RTÉ RnaG’s flagship traditional music show produced in the Cork Gaeltacht village of Cúil Aodha, alongside Aoife Ní Bhriain (fiddle), Cormac Ó Beaglaoich (concertina) and Oisín Morrison (harp).
said Mr Ó Riada.
“It attracts musicians from all over the world to enter – in the first year we had a finalist from Australia, last year we had four from the USA, including the winner, and this year we had a finalist from Boston.
“The winners have built on their reputations following their success at the Bonn Óir and it’s a title that is respected among musicians.”
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