The Dublin premiere of Michael Rooney’s 2011 suite of compositions will be performed in Christchurch Cathedral by a 60-piece orchestra of Galician and Irish musicians featuring dancers from Ireland and Spain.

The De Cuellar Suite tells the story of Captain Francisco De Cuellar who was one of the few survivors from the three Armada ships that floundered on Streedagh Strand, County Sligo in 1588. The suite follows the journey of the Armada from Spain to the naval battles in the English Channel and to their perilous voyage north around Scotland and Ireland. De Cuellar’s experiences and struggle to survive, as he makes his way from Streedagh through north Sligo and Leitrim and eventual escape to the Spanish Netherlands, inspired many of the compositions which marry both Irish and Galician music traditions.

Further information

www.templebartrad.com

Photograph shows The De Cuellar Suite