Contemporary technology and traditional storytelling combine in a modern interpretation of the Irish bardic performance. In ancient Ireland the bardic tradition of the file (poet), the reacaire (bard) and the cruitire (harper) was a creative method of recording and reflecting Irish society. Through bardic performances, places were celebrated, battles commemorated, and loves lamented.

Drawing on the story of goddess Sionna and the recorded sounds of the Shannon estuary, this 40-minute performance brings together many voices from the human world and the natural world to create an immersive and complex listening experience.

The Harper, The Bard & The Story of Sionna is a 40-minute performance based on an audio-visual project titled Four Maps of the Same Place which premiered in 2020.

Niamh O’Brien is a harp player, singer, composer and sound artist. Since graduating from University of Limerick in 2014, she has recorded and performed across Europe and the U.S with various groups including AnTara, Alyth McCormack, The Chieftains and contemporary trad trio, Hoodman Blind. Her current compositional practice combines traditional Irish repertoire with pre-recorded sounds and stories gathered in the field.