*Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill.
A CHICAGO BORN musician who developed a strong affinity for East Clare is remembered in a TG4 documentary which airs this weekend.
Born in June 1954 to Kerry parents, Dennis died in June 2022. He had been known as one of the most innovative guitar players in the globe and formed a stunning partnership with Maghera native, Martin Hayes.
Together, they played as a duo and also as part of the Irish traditional supergroup The Gloaming. They performed in venues all over the world such as Australia, Japan, Italy, Germany, France, Holland, Scandinavia, Canada, Hong Kong, China, Poland, Mexico and more local settings such as glór and Pepper’s Pub where a musical tribute was held in his honour last November.
They collaborated with artists like Sting, jazz guitarist Bill Frisell, Grammy-winning bluegrass and country star Ricky Skaggs, newgrass artists Darol Anger and Mike Marshall, and the Irish Chamber Orchestra. In 2011 they were the featured performers at the White House for President and Mrs. Obama, the Vice-President, and the President of Ireland while three years later in 2014 they were among the acts at London’s Royal Albert Hall for the historic first state visit by the Irish President.
Dennis Cahill – Litir ó Do Chara is a new TG4 and Aniar TV documentary by director and fiddle player Dónal O’Connor. It tells Dennis’ story, documenting his work with Martin and The Gloaming. The documentary was screened as part of TradFest Temple Bar at the Irish Film Institute last month and will air on TG4 this Sunday (March 5th) at 9:30pm.
Featured in the tribute are Hayes, Iarla Ó Lionáird, guitarists Steve Cooney, Seamie O’Dowd and John Doyle, Chicago fiddle player Liz Carroll, Seán Óg Graham of the group Beoga, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, Cormac Begley, singer Niamh Parsons and guitarist Graham Dunne.
