Straddling the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, the Sliabh Beagh region of counties Monaghan and Fermanagh possesses a long-standing musical tradition, albeit one which is often overlooked at a national level. Despite this absence, glimpses of the region’s musical heritage may be found in a variety of sources, including, among others, the newspaper columns of Sliabh Beagh musician and cultural activist Eamonn Murray (1912-1966). Centrally involved in the early Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann movement, Murray’s columns – contributed to The Northern Standard newspaper during the 1930s and 40s – provide a valuable insight into the traditional music practices of the Sliabh Beagh area. While demonstrating the continued presence of the region’s local music traditions, Murray’s columns also highlight the dwindling status of traditional music in the area during this period.

In Murray’s opinion, the music traditions of Sliabh Beagh region – an area he sometimes referred to as ‘Our Dear Dark Mountain with the Sky over it’ – were in retreat. Confronted by the progressive development of mass media and an ever- expanding array of musical alternatives, the local musical tradition was challenged by new and exciting traditional styles of playing, repertoires and techniques. Gramophone records and radio performances of virtuoso players were imitated, often to the finest detail, with local tunes and settings being set aside. Witnessing the impact of such pressures on the region’s musical traditions, Murray implored the area’s traditional musicians not to allow mass media “to influence them away from their own distinctive style of playing, or to push the native tradition and repertoire into the background.” (Murray, 1961).