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New York award for Carn radio
producer
23.06.11
AN Inishowen radio
producer has scooped silver at a prestigious New
York awards ceremony.
Mary Owens from Carndonagh won the accolade at the
New York International Awards for her radio series
'The Sea of Song'. The series explores and
celebrates the maritime song tradition around the
shores of Ireland.
It was broadcast by RTÉ Lyric FM last year and was
funded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.
“Irish songs of the sea have travelled back and
forth to America, Canada, Australia and many other
places around the world," said Mary, of Well Said
Productions.
"They tell aspects of our social history better than
any textbook can. I think that is why the series
appealed to an international jury.”
Her winning work features song and story with "fresh
new perspectives on Ireland’s maritime history and
sea faring traditions". |
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Inishowen radio producer, Mary Owens. |
It explores Irish
narratives in sea shanties and sailor ballads and
taps into some "hair-raising" accounts of life at
sea in the 19th century. It includes many songs from
Donegal in both English and Irish.
For the programmes, Mary sifted through the huge
collection of Irish coastal songs, including some
classics from the Gaelic repertoire, to retrieve
vivid tales of smugglers, shipwrecks and heroic
rescues. ‘The Sea in Song’ also features some of
Ireland's most powerful laments and romantic
ballads.
Contributors to the programmes included Donegal
performers such as Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and Grace
Toland as well as Lillis O Laoire.
The series was broadcast on the Lyric Feature slot
last December. Listeners can still enjoy the series
on-line in the Lyric Feature's 2010 programme
archive. |
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