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music · Monday 7 September 2026 · 7:00pm 
Slow Trad with Eamonn Abberton
At Linenhall Arts Centre · Linenhall Street, Castlebar, Co. Mayo
At Linenhall Arts Centre · Linenhall Street, Castlebar, Co. Mayo
Castlebar-based accordion player Eamonn Abberton leads a “slow session” at the Linenhall Arts Centre, where traditional tunes are played at less than half their normal speed so that near-beginner and intermediate musicians can learn them and join in without being left behind by faster, more experienced players. The repertoire covers the standard trad session range - slow airs, hornpipes, barndances, marches, waltzes, jigs and reels - taught and played through together rather than performed at an audience. Abberton has a strong teaching pedigree: he recently coached the group Ceoltóirí Turlough Carolan to first place at the Mayo Fleadh, and this session reflects that same patient, building-block approach to trad tunes. It runs on a bi-weekly pattern rather than every single week - the next dates after 7 September are 21 September, then into October and beyond - so it is worth checking the Linenhall’s site for the current list before heading down. Entry is pay-what-you-can, which keeps it genuinely open to anyone curious about joining a session for the first time. Slow sessions like this one have become an increasingly common fixture at Irish arts centres precisely because standard pub sessions move too fast for anyone still learning, and Abberton’s own coaching background means he is used to breaking tunes down phrase by phrase rather than simply playing through them.
The Linenhall Arts Centre is on Linenhall Street in Castlebar town centre, an easy walk from the main square, with parking available nearby. Castlebar sits on the N5, roughly two and a half hours from Dublin and an hour from Galway, and is served by Bus Eireann from Dublin, Galway, Westport and Ballina.
Bring your own instrument if you play - the session is built for participation rather than spectating, and beginners are explicitly welcome. There is more to see in Castlebar and across Co. Mayo.
Heading to Linenhall Arts Centre in Castlebar? Mayo has plenty more to see. Read the Castlebar area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.