Sé mo Laoch

Synopsis

As Irish traditional music gained global recognition in the early 1970s, one of the foremost figures in the music industry was Dublin fiddle player Paddy Glackin. As his peers in bands like Planxty, The Chieftains and The Bothy Band all went professional, Paddy Glackin chose another road. A razor-sharp commentator on Irish traditional music, Glackin explores his reasons for not going professional at the height of his career, what made the music great at the time, and his thoughts on where the music is today. The film traces his career as he moved into broadcasting, presenting The Long Note on radio and The Pure Drop on television, and becoming the first Traditional Music Officer in the Arts Council, continuing to play music all the while. Sé mo Laoch presents a revealing story that is both personal and political where we hear about Glackin's family tragedy and his relationship with his father and his thoughts on Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, RTÉ and The Arts Council.