Elphin woman awarded Comhaltas Ashling Murphy Scholarship

An Elphin woman has been awarded a Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Ashling Murphy Scholarship for research, recognising her lifelong dedication to Irish traditional culture and her ambitious research project to document Ireland's rich traditional singing heritage.

The scholarship was presented to AnneMarie Brogan during a special ceremony in the historic Ulster Hall, Belfast as part of National Folk Orchestra concert for Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2026. President of Comhaltas, Attracta Brady, and Director General Dr Labhras O’Murchu were in attendance and AnneMarie was presented on stage with her award by Raymond Murphy, father of Ashling. Kathleen and Amy, Ashling’s mother and sister respectively, were also present as well as Ken Barrett who sponsored the scholarships.

The Comhaltas Ashling Murphy Scholarship was established in memory of Ashling to support innovative projects that promote, preserve and develop Ireland's traditional arts through research and education. The scholarship encourages projects that will leave a lasting legacy for future generations of musicians, singers and cultural practitioners.

AnneMarie's successful project, Our Singing Landscape: An Atlas of Irish Traditional Songs and Singers, aims to create the first comprehensive online atlas celebrating Ireland's traditional singing heritage. The project will document representative songs from each of Ireland's 32 counties, alongside songs from the Irish diaspora, while exploring the history, origins and cultural significance of each piece. It will also profile historic and contemporary singers, regional singing styles, source singers and archival material, creating an educational resource that will continue to grow over time before ultimately developing into a published book and accompanying audio collection.

Traditional singing has long been recognised as one of Ireland's greatest cultural treasures, preserving generations of history, language, identity and community memory through song. AnneMarie's research seeks to ensure this invaluable tradition receives the recognition it deserves while making it accessible to singers, teachers, students, researchers, schools, libraries and communities throughout Ireland and beyond.

Although originally from County Wexford and raised in England, AnneMarie now lives in Elphin and comes from a family steeped in Irish traditional singing. She is the daughter and granddaughter of All-Ireland winning traditional singers and lilters Séamus Brogan and Mary Brogan and from an early age was immersed in the songs, stories and traditions that have shaped her lifelong passion for traditional singing.

She has devoted much of her life to Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, beginning her voluntary service at just fifteen years of age. Over the decades she has held numerous leadership and administrative positions at branch, county and provincial level, including serving as secretary at each level. She was also a co-founder of Comhaltas na nÓg in Britain, helping to encourage youth participation in traditional music and contributing to the development of youth structures that continue to benefit the organisation today. Her work has consistently focused on cultural preservation, community development, youth engagement and strengthening links between Irish communities at home and abroad.

Beyond its academic significance, the project holds a deeply personal meaning for AnneMarie as it honours the memory of her late grandmother, Mary Brogan, whose love of traditional song inspired generations of her family.

The idea for Our Singing Landscape grew from a game she and her sister played with their grandmother. One of them would call out the name of any county in Ireland, and the challenge was to be the first to think of a traditional song or ballad associated with that county—and then sing it. What began as a simple pastime soon became an appreciation of the remarkable diversity of Ireland's song tradition and the deep connections between songs, places and communities. Those treasured moments ultimately planted the seed for what has now become a major research project dedicated to preserving Ireland's singing heritage.

Speaking following the presentation, AnneMarie said: "I am deeply honoured to receive the Comhaltas Ashling Murphy Scholarship for research. Traditional songs are among Ireland's greatest historical records, carrying the voices, stories and experiences of generations. Through Our Singing Landscape, I hope to create a lasting resource that celebrates not only the songs themselves but also the singers and communities who have kept this wonderful tradition alive. I am sincerely grateful to Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann for supporting this project and for recognising the importance of traditional singing within our shared cultural heritage."

The award represents an important recognition of AnneMarie's decades of voluntary service to traditional arts and her ongoing commitment to preserving Ireland's singing tradition for future generations. As the project develops over the coming years, it promises to become a significant educational and research resource, ensuring that Irish traditional song continues to be celebrated as a vital expression of Ireland's living cultural heritage.

The award was one of a number of reasons for celebration for Elphin Comhaltas over a memorable Fleadh weekend in Belfast, with the branch’s young people and performers returning home with an impressive collection of All-Ireland honours.

Among those celebrating was Henry Gunn, who was crowned All-Ireland Champion in 12–15 Storytelling, while the Elphin Set Dancers enjoyed tremendous success on the competition stage, taking second place in the U-18 Mixed Half Set and third place in the 12–15 Mixed Full Set. Celine Shannon also brought further honours home to Elphin with an excellent second place in Senior Lilting.

The branch was represented beyond the competition stage too, with Elphin’s own Jacinta Conneely-Shannon kept very busy throughout the weekend hosting TG4’s live-stream coverage of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann before taking to the stage at Belfast’s ICC Waterfront Hall as MC for the prestigious All-Ireland Céilí Band Competition.