Caption: Tomáseen Foley
Tomáseen Foley 

A Celtic Christmas

From: Jefferson Public Radio
Length: 58:55

An hour-long holiday special featuring Irish storyteller Tomáseen Foley and his charming tale "Parcel from America." The program also features music from guitarist William Coulter, fiddler Deby Benton Grojean, and piper Todd Denman, as well as songs from Moira Smiley. Read the full description.

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Tomáseen Foley's A Celtic Christmas recreates the joy and innocence of a night before Christmas in a farmhouse in the remote parish of Teampall an Ghleanntain in the west of Ireland, when the neighbors gather around the fire to grace the long wintry night with the laughter of their stories, the joy of their music, and dances they always said they were much too old for.

Long, long before Riverdance, ordinary Irish men and women in hobnailed boots knocked sparks off the flagstone floors with jigs, reels and hornpipes, and the rafters rang with the fiery music of the fiddle, bodhran, tin whistle, and the mesmerizing uilleann pipes.

Storyteller/Director Tomáseen Foley was born on a small farm in the remote parish of Teampall an Ghleanntáin in the West of Ireland. Rego Irish Records says he is a master of the Irish narrative and a keeper of the flame for a priceless piece of Irish culture. Each year from Thanksgiving until Christmas his show Tomáseen Foley's A Celtic Christmas plays to critical acclaim and packed concert halls around the US. His show A Saint Patrick Celebration tours from late February through mid-March; two other shows, Tomáseen Foley's Irish Times, and his one-man Lines from my Grandmother's Forehead tour throughout the remainder of the year. The Oregon Cabaret has developed a hit musical from his story Parcel From America.

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Piece Description

Tomáseen Foley's A Celtic Christmas recreates the joy and innocence of a night before Christmas in a farmhouse in the remote parish of Teampall an Ghleanntain in the west of Ireland, when the neighbors gather around the fire to grace the long wintry night with the laughter of their stories, the joy of their music, and dances they always said they were much too old for.

Long, long before Riverdance, ordinary Irish men and women in hobnailed boots knocked sparks off the flagstone floors with jigs, reels and hornpipes, and the rafters rang with the fiery music of the fiddle, bodhran, tin whistle, and the mesmerizing uilleann pipes.

Storyteller/Director Tomáseen Foley was born on a small farm in the remote parish of Teampall an Ghleanntáin in the West of Ireland. Rego Irish Records says he is a master of the Irish narrative and a keeper of the flame for a priceless piece of Irish culture. Each year from Thanksgiving until Christmas his show Tomáseen Foley's A Celtic Christmas plays to critical acclaim and packed concert halls around the US. His show A Saint Patrick Celebration tours from late February through mid-March; two other shows, Tomáseen Foley's Irish Times, and his one-man Lines from my Grandmother's Forehead tour throughout the remainder of the year. The Oregon Cabaret has developed a hit musical from his story Parcel From America.

2 Comments Atom Feed

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Comment

This was a very interesting story. Humbling and heart-felt in its telling. I liked it very much.

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Pronunciation Tips...

Tomaseen = toe-MAH-sheen
Grojean = grow-ZHAHN
Teampall an Ghleanntain = (roughly) TOM-ple ahn Glouwn-TAHN

Timing and Cues

Part 1 -- 29:00
Part 2 -- 1:00 Music Bed/Local Avail
Part 3 -- 28:59

Musical Works

Title Artist Album Label Year Length
The Rose In The Heather William Coulter The Priest & The Acrobat. Orbital Arts 1999 00:51
Lark In The Morning Todd Denman The Priest & The Acrobat. Orbital Arts 1999 01:00
Drops of Brandy Todd Denman The Priest & The Acrobat. Orbital Arts 1999 01:00
Darkest Midnight Moira Smiley Rua. Moira Smiley 2004 04:03
Wexford Carol Moira Smiley Rua. Moira Smiley 2004 03:43

Additional Credits

Original recording of Tomaseen Foley's story produced by Don Harriss.

Related Website

http://www.tomaseenfoley.com/