TG4 GRADAM CEOIL TRADITIONAL MUSIC BURSARY 2026

The Duncairn Arts Centre is proud to announce the 2026 recipients of the Gradam Ceoil TG4 Traditional Music Bursary, a flagship scheme supported by Belfast City Council and TG4 and administered by The Duncairn.

Now entering its fifth and final year, the bursary continues to recognise and invest in the next generation of traditional musicians shaping the sound and future of the island. This year’s recipients are three exceptional young artists: Jack McGoldrick, Eimear Magee and Peadar Connor.

Táimid fíor bhródúil an nuacht a roinnt libh faoi buaiteoirí an Scéim Sparántachta Ghradam Ceoil TG4 de chuid Chomhairle Cathrach Bhéal Feirste i mbliana. Anois sa cúigiú bhliain, is ceiliúradh ard chaighdeáin ceol traidisiúnta na cathrach atá inti a tabharfaidh tacaíocht do thriúir ceoltóir den scoth: Jack McGoldrick, Eimear Magee agus Peadar Connor.

Each recipient will receive a £3,000 bursary towards their artistic and professional development, alongside mentoring, performance opportunities and ongoing support through The Duncairn and its wider cultural network.

Councillor Ian McLaughlin, Chair of City Growth and Regeneration Committee said:

“We are incredibly proud to back the Gradam Ceoil bursaries once again and want to say a massive congratulations to this year’s recipients.

This scheme is all about investing in the raw talent of our young musicians and giving them the space to create. Belfast is unique as a UNESCO City of Music, and the timing couldn't be better. With Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann coming to our city streets this August, these bursaries ensure our finest young artists are equipped to take centre stage during the celebration of traditional music.”

Over the past five years, the Gradam Ceoil TG4 Traditional Music Bursary has become an important part of Belfast’s growing traditional music landscape. The scheme has supported young musicians not only financially, but by giving them space to develop their craft, build confidence, create new work and connect with audiences. Many past recipients have gone on to perform nationally and internationally, contributing to a vibrant and evolving traditional music scene rooted in both heritage and innovation.

The programme also reflects the wider work of The Duncairn in nurturing emerging artists through meaningful, long-term support. Across all artforms, The Duncairn has built a reputation for championing young creatives, creating opportunities for them to learn, collaborate, perform and find their place within the wider cultural sector.

This is a particularly significant moment for traditional music in Belfast. As the city prepares to welcome thousands of musicians and hundreds of thousands of visitors as hosts of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2026, there is a renewed energy and pride surrounding traditional arts across the city. The continued development of young musicians through initiatives such as this bursary will play an important role in ensuring that Belfast’s traditional music scene continues to thrive long after the Fleadh stages are packed away.

As this final year of the bursary begins, The Duncairn hopes the success and impact of the programme can help spark conversations around future investment in emerging traditional musicians. The scheme has demonstrated the real difference sustained support can make to young artists at a crucial stage in their development and stands as a strong example of Belfast’s commitment to the future of this extraordinary artform.

Jack McGoldrick is a guitarist from Co. Down, now living in Belfast. Having grown up immersed in a wide range of musical genres, he has been accompanying traditional music regularly for a number of years. With a keen interest in the relationship between tunes and their harmony, Jack has studied with some of the most progressive voices in the tradition, including Ryan Molloy and Conal O’Kane. He has played across Ireland and internationally from the Great Wall of China to Spain. Jack has a growing reputation as a musician with a unique harmonic voice that continues to grow in strength. You can find him across sessions in Belfast every week and on various stages at festival clubs throughout Ireland.

Hailing from Mayobridge in County Down, Eimear Magee has had a deep connection to Irish traditional music from an early age. Raised in a musical family, she was introduced to the fiddle by her father and grew up surrounded by song, dance and storytelling. Eimear developed her music through her local Comhaltas branch in Warrenpoint, alongside training with Flynn Performing Arts and the Nolan Kerrin School of Irish Dance. She is a proud member of the Cloughmór Céilí Band, regularly playing for céilís throughout Ireland.

Eimear studied Textile, Art, Design and Fashion at Ulster University and is currently completing a PGCE. Alongside her performance work, she explores the connection between music, heritage and storytelling through her interdisciplinary project, ‘Singing Threads: Songs and Stories of Ulster’s Linen Mills’. Supported by funding from the Aisling Murphy Scholarship and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, the project focuses on researching and performing songs connected to the linen industry, bringing overlooked stories and traditions to new audiences through concerts, workshops and community engagement.

Deeply passionate about Irish culture and passing tradition on to the next generation, Eimear teaches regularly throughout Newry and Mourne, at Crescent Arts Centre Belfast and at Belfast TradFest. She recently has performed at festivals and concerts across Ireland and internationally, including the Waterfront, the Irish Spring Festival in Germany, Folk at the Salmon Bothy Festival and performances in Russia. In 2025 Eimear was the Ulster Singing Scór Champion and was awarded second place in Irish Traditional Singing at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.

Peadar Connor is a 22 year old multi-instrumentalist and composer from Ballycastle who plays fiddle, clarinet, whistles and piano. Following his graduation from Queen's University Belfast in Music Performance he launched his first EP "Debut" with headline shows at The Duncairn and Old Church Centre.

With a wide array of influences from Björk to Ryuichi Sakamoto he fuses non-traditional harmony, modes and textures with traditional form, bringing his own colour to the genre. With compositions that blur the line between traditional and ‘ the other’, his music is as ethereal and atmospheric as it is driving and groove-based, blending fragility with forward motion.

Gach rath orthu! We wish them all the best with the year ahead, and in their upcoming Fleadh Cheoil competitions! Jack will be competing in this years’ Fleadh in accompaniment and grupa cheoil, whilst Eimear will be competing in singing in English, Ceílí Band, Ceílí Dancing & Set dancing.