New publication by DkIT Researchers examines music in Irish animation
DkIT Researchers Dr Luke Malone and Dr Daithí Kearney have published an article in Estudios Irlandese, the journal of the Spanish Association for Irish Studies (AEDEI) on music in animated films by acclaimed Irish studio Cartoon Saloon.
Best known for their three feature films – The Secret of Kells (2009), Song of the Sea (2014), and Wolfwalkers (2020) – Cartoon Saloon utilises techniques that combine hand-drawn Celtic-inspired artwork with music compositions that demonstrate the influence of Irish traditional music. Key to the soundtracks has been the involvement of the band Kila, and this involvement of Irish musicians reflects developments in the music scene that reflect an increasingly diverse society. In exploring the relationship between music and animation, this paper demonstrates how creative innovation reflects and transforms traditional culture to appeal to a broad modern and international audience.
Malone recently graduated with a PhD in Film from DkIT under the supervision of Kearney and Dr Kelly McErlean. As well as part-time teaching at DkIT, he is a filmmaker and video editor for community film projects, professional shoots, and indie documentaries. Kearney is Director of the Creative Arts Research Centre and is widely published on Irish traditional music, in addition to being a performer. The paper demonstrates the interdisciplinary engagement in the centre, underpinned by the programmes in the Department of Creative Arts, Media and Music.
In this publication, Malone and Kearney position the films of Cartoon Saloon in relation to other Irish films or films about Ireland, critiquing how composers attempt to create an aural reference for Irishness. By highlighting specific examples from the films, the research identifies stylistic aspects that can inform film music composition and demonstrates the importance of music to the reception of film.
Estudios Irlandeses is published online once a year, around St Patrick’s Day, covering a broad scope of interdisciplinary approaches within the field of Irish studies. The journal is independently funded; it does not receive financial aid from any official institution or government organization. With a vision to reach a wide international audience, its mission is to offer high-quality research and knowledge relevant for a specialist and non-specialist readership. Its publication policy is subject to a double-bind peer review process and guarantees a sound, unbiased and fair evaluation conducted by an expert.
The volume also includes a book review by Dianne McPhelim, a Government of Ireland Doctoral Scholar in the Department of Creative Arts, Media and Music. McPhelim provides an insightful reflection on Narrating Irish Female Development 1916-2018 by Jane Elizabeth Dougherty, which aligns very well with her own current research on Irish woman activist Mamo McDonald from Co. Monaghan, who was a lifelong campaigner for women’s rights, former president of the Irish Countrywomen’s Association (ICA) and former cathaoirleach of Age & Opportunity.
The publication is available open access and can be found here
