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TO commemorate the centenary year of the Land War in Geevagh, Sligo a number of events will take place there throughout 2008.

The first event to mark the occasion is the launch of Carmel Gunning’s latest CD.

Carmel Gunning is well-known to traditional audiences in Britain having toured several times with the Comhaltas Echoes Of Erin group.

The CD titled Corran Hill includes the historic ballad The Geevagh Prisoners. This ballad was composed by Michael Daly from Glenkillamey, Geevagh. Another Geevagh composer featured on the CD is Michael Kearns from Straduff who composed two of the songs — Around St. James’s Well and The Exile Far Away.

In total, there are 12 tracks — seven songs in English and Irish and five instrumental pieces, two of which are newly-composed tunes by Carmel herself — a fling called Stongia (named after a local valley) and a jig called Corran Hill. Corran Hill is the highest peak in the Geevagh Mountains.

The well-known session player Brendan Emmett from nearby Ballyfarnon plays mandolin and guitar on the CD. Brendan has performed extensively throughout the world with musicians from Makem and Clancy to Frances Black. Orla McAuliffe, a three-times All-Ireland champion flute player from London, plays a couple of reels on the CD — Jean’s Reel and Colonel Frazers.

She has been attending the Queen Maeve International Summer School Festival with Carmel Gunning for the last seven years which runs in Sligo town every August.

The event takes place on St. Patrick’s Day in Paddy’s Bar in Geevagh at 4pm with Tom Nangle, brother of Carmel Gunning and a fine singer himself, launching the CD.

The CD can be purchased by post from Carmel Gunning, 4 Church View Crescent, Ballytivnan, Sligo town