From Clare to Here / Martin Hayes, Dennis Cahill
From Clare to Here profiles international fiddle-player, Martin Hayes, and looks beyond the homogenised façade of Irish culture to reveal the true roots of Irish music. His collaborations with Chicago-based guitarist, Dennis Cahill, employ the lyrical traditions of Hayes native East Clare in Ireland, (his family has strong links with the Tulla Ceili Band), and Cahill's blues and jazz. The film features performance footage as well as interviews with Paddy Moloney of The Chieftains, Mairead Ní Mhaoinaigh of Altan and Jean Butler of Riverdance fame. We follow the successful duo from rural East Clare to Dublin, and across the Atlantic to Seattle and San Francisco as they establish that musicians who stay in touch with their roots can have strong appeal in an era when audiences are searching for authenticity.