The East Clare Jig
by Clíodhna Donnellan
I wrote this jig in 2017. Hailing from East Clare, in Ireland my music compositions are very reflective of our surrounding landscape, full of hills and hollows, Lough Derg, mossy banks, woods and an area that is protected. The a part of the tune stays low on the g and d string and then we are transported to the higher strings in the second part, a little like the landscape I look at out my window here in the Slieve Aughty mountain area of East Clare.
Cli Donnellan is an Irish traditional musician, producer, curator and creative arts facilitator living and working in her native East Clare. She has been involved in the creative arts sector for over 20 years.
Cli has curated multi-disciplinary events with the support of Clare County Councils Live Outdoor Performance Scheme in collaboration with Mountshannon Arts Festival as well as founding and curating the Mountshannon Trad Festival that ran from 2010-2019. She released her debut album in 2020 entitled “Beneath the Hedgerow”. Cli continues to perform music and is working on newly composed material. One of her compositions has been published in Faber Music publication released May 5th, 2023 entitled “Folk Tunes from the Women”, a first publication of 150 tunes by 100 female composers across Britain and Ireland.
From 2019-2021 Cli produced and presented The Morning Dew, a live weekly radio show with Scariff Bay Community Radio (SBCR). She is currently working on a feature radio documentary for SBCR on the legacy of Shortts (Lena’s) in Feakle, Co. Clare, one of the longest running Thursday night sessions in Ireland. The three part podcast series entitled “The Long and the Shortt of it – A Thursday night in Feakle” can be found on your favourite podcast platform.
Since 2020, Cli has been based at her residence situated in the Slieve Aughty Mountain protected area of East Clare overlooking Iniscealtra (Holy Island), on Lough Derg. Cli offers in person and online music tuition, music workshop weekends, kitchen sessions and a host of creative workshops and in-house holistic events. With her Arts Practice Ph.D. (2018) and mapping her own musical journey and life experience, Cli focuses on a holistic approach to arts practice. She draws on her native landscape and environment as a source of inspiration for her personal and creative work.
Cli is on the peer panel of the Arts Council of Ireland and is a mentor with Minding Creative Minds.
