ABSTRACT
Local musical traditions not only underpin regional identities, particularly in parts of the west of Ireland, but they also create networks that enhance a sense of community underpinned by intangible cultural heritage. This chapter examines the impact of music research and related performances on an understanding and awareness of a local or regional musical heritage in Dundalk and its surroundings in the past decade. It explores the implications for a spatial understanding of Irish traditional music in the twenty-first century that engages with communities of musical practice. The chapter focuses on one cultural region and an Irish academic institution that engages with the study and performance of Irish traditional music. It draws upon the work of Ted Solís and Simone Krüger, whose books provide themes for critiquing the activities and impact of the ensemble at Dundalk Institute of Technology from an ethnomusicological perspective.
