Community
Irish World Music Café strikes the right chord in the community
Cllr. Kieran O’Hanlon, Deputy Mayor of Limerick City and County Council attended the Irish World Music Café at UL City Campus. Photo: Maurice Gunning
The Irish World Music café was delighted to be joined by Cllr. Kieran O’Hanlon, Deputy Mayor of the City and County of Limerick for a few tunes at the University of Limerick City Campus
The Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick, in partnership with Doras Luimní, holds the Irish World Music Café in Limerick city as a social and cultural event where new migrants can meet other people living in Ireland.
This pop-up cafe features free food and music, as well as an open mic for anyone wishing to offer a song, a poem, a piece of music or a dance. The cafes are an important part of research about the impact of music on the health and well-being of migrants, led by Professor Helen Phelan, the Director of the Irish World Academy, and Professor Anne MacFarlane, Chair of Primary Healthcare at the University.
The sessions are led by musicians from the Irish World Academy, in particular Ewa Zak-Dyndal, a PhD Arts Practice student. Doras Luimní is an independent non-governmental organisation working to promote and protect the rights of migrants in Ireland, and their staff Ahmed Hassan and Serhii Korobtsov, recognise how important music is for people’s wellbeing and social inclusion in a new country.
The cafés are a reminder that music is one of the most effective ways for human beings to connect with each other, and to celebrate both cultural differences and human similarities.
Professor Helen Phelan, Director of the Irish World Academy, said, “We know from human experience that sharing hospitality is one of our most instinctive ways to reach out to each other. We know from research that music accelerates this process of social bonding. The Irish World Music Cafe brings music and hospitality together in a shared space of respect and appreciation, reminding us of the great richness of our cultural similarities and differences.”