Cllr. Kieran O’Hanlon, Deputy Mayor of the City and County of Limerick joins Irish World Music Café

The Irish World Music café was delighted to be joined by Cllr. Kieran O’Hanlon, Deputy Mayor of the City and County of Limerick for a few tunes at the University of Limerick City Campus. The Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick, in partnership with Doras Luimní, holds the Irish World Music Café in Limerick city as a social and cultural event where new migrants can meet other people living in Ireland. This pop-up cafe features free food and music, as well as an open mic for anyone wishing to offer a song, a poem, a piece of music or a dance. The cafes are an important part of research about the impact of music on the health and well-being of migrants, led by Professor Helen Phelan, the Director of the Irish World Academy, and Professor Anne MacFarlane, Chair of Primary Healthcare at the University. The sessions are led by musicians from the Irish World Academy, in particular Ewa Zak-Dyndal, a PhD Arts Practice student. Doras Luimní is an independent non-governmental organisation working to promote and protect the rights of migrants in Ireland, and their staff Ahmed Hassan and Serhii Korobtsov, recognise how important music is for people’s wellbeing and social inclusion in a new country. The cafés are a reminder that music is one of the most effective ways for human beings to connect with each other, and to celebrate both cultural differences and human similarities.