Local musicians create bit of a session in new online video series

With little or no live music for close to a year now, local musicians, singers and entertainers are turning to the online space to try and create the energy and buzz of the much-missed session.

Hot on the heels of the success of the pilot 'Siamsaícht Sesiún' video filmed in Athlone and launched in January, a second instalment went live in recent days on the Athlone Family Resource Centre YouTube and social media channels.

This time around the video features music from Anne Marie Hynes, Stephen and Paddy Heffernan from Moate, Christina Anna, Ruairi Henshaw and Tang's Neil Fitzgibbon, as well as poetry from Jim Byrne.

Thanks to a grant from Westmeath County Council and the Arts Council, the programme makers Kara Richards, Áine O'Brien and Neil Fitzgibbon said they are delighted to be able to produce three more episodes of the well-received show.

“We are so grateful to have the opportunity to make these programmes which showcase just a small amount of Athlone's incredible talent pool, and get to show off the beauty and diversity of the town and surrounding areas,” Kara Richards said.

The pilot show, filmed in Lowe and Co in O'Connell Street and Lakeside Marina, garnered more than 1,600 views in January, and despite only launched a few days, the second instalment also filmed around Athlone, already boasts more than 500 views.

This is just one of the many projects being led by Athlone Family Resource Centre, who really are pulling out all the stops to make the best of life in these difficult times, Kara added. The next three shows will broadcast on the last Saturday of each month.

The soundtrack will be transmitted at midday by Athlone community Radio and the show will be premiered on YouTube at 9pm.

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The second episode of 'Siamsaícht Sesiún' can be viewed on The Athlone Family Resource Centre YouTube channel or its Facebook page or via the following link: https://youtu.be/8zhkXbRLIG8