Rediscover Northern Ireland

Sharing Northern Ireland’s music across the Atlantic.

Tommy, Moya and Fionán Sands performed at the Library of Congress as part of its Rediscover Northern Ireland programme in 2008. Co-sponsored by the American Folklife Center and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the programme celebrated and documented Northern Ireland’s cultural traditions. The Library retains a video record of their concert.

A family performance in Washington

The Library’s collection dates the concert to 9 October 2008. Tommy appeared with his daughter Moya and son Fionán, bringing the family’s music to an American audience. The preserved video runs for approximately seventy minutes, allowing visitors to experience the concert beyond a short description.

Part of a wider cultural programme

Rediscover Northern Ireland presented music and cultural discussion through the American Folklife Center. The 2008 events also included traditional singer Len Graham and a lecture by Maurice Leyden on weaving and singing. The Library places these performances within its broader collection of Irish music, oral tradition and cultural history.

The songs continue to travel

The recording has also become a resource for other musicians. For the American Folklife Center’s 2022 Archive Challenge, Clare Sands drew on this concert for her performance of The Music of Healing. The Library’s guide identifies Tommy’s spoken introduction at around 54 minutes and the song beginning at about 55 minutes 46 seconds.