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Grand Island singer to compete in Ireland


Updated: 08/15/07 7:14 AM

 
Patricia Czora O'Gorman plans to sing her song "The Galway Man."

A local singer will travel to Ireland later this month to compete in the world’s largest festival of traditional Irish music, song and dance.

 

Patricia Czora-O’Gorman of Grand Island qualified to compete in the Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann in Tullamore, County Offaly, by winning second place in a competition held in June in Pearl River.

In the Irish national event, she will compete against up to 15 others in three categories: ladies’ ballad-singing in English; newly composed ballad, for which she plans to sing her own composition, “The Galway Man”; and lilting. “Lilting was historically a way of doing instrumental music without instruments,” Czora-O’Gorman said, demonstrating the melodic “deedle-di-di” phrasing used.

Two years ago, she competed in the same event, which was held in Letterkenny, Donegal.

Although battling a virus, “I did not embarrass myself or my country,” she said, laughing.

Czora-O’Gorman started singing Irish tunes after friends brought her to traditional Irish music sessions. She plays guitar and sings at the sessions in Nietzche’s, 248 Allen St., from 4 to 8 p.m. every Saturday.