Eileen Ivers, Cathie Ryan to Headline WFUV's Ceol na nGael Concert, 2/8 at New York Botanical Garden

Ceol na nGael, heard Sunday afternoons from 12-4 p.m., is celebrating 40 years on WFUV (90.7 FM/wfuv.org) with a concert on Sunday, February 8, from 1-3 p.m. at Ross Hall at the New York Botanical Garden. Performers will include these leading Irish-American artists: fiddler Eileen Ivers, singer Cathie Ryan, seven-piece band Celtic Cross, and Dan Gurney, accordion player of The Yanks. Tickets are available for $100 per pair with a contribution to public radio station WFUV by phone (877-938-8907) or online (support.wfuv.org) during its winter membership drive January 21-25.

The most popular Irish radio program in New York, Ceol na nGael ("Music of the Irish") began as the brainchild of two Fordham students, Gerry Murphy and Mary Maguire, in the fall of 1974. Over the years it has continued to be hosted by students, currently Shannon Spillane and Megan Scully, who have kept the tradition alive. In addition to playing all kinds of Irish music, often accompanied by dedications, the program features community bulletin boards, the weekly News from Ireland, reported by Declan O'Byrne in Dublin at 2 p.m., and the Sports from Ireland, with Brendan Tier, immediately following.

"Ceol na nGael reconnects us to our roots and reinforces our values as a community," Cathie Ryan said. "There are millions of us in the tri-state area, but Ceol na nGael makes us a small village."

"There's nothing else quite like Ceol na nGael, which is the epitome of appointment listening," added WFUV General Manager Chuck Singleton. "We thank all the students who've hosted it over the years and all the artists and listeners who've supported it, and we're delighted to honor its priceless place in the Irish-American community."

About WFUV: WFUV (90.7 FM, wfuv.org), New York's source for music discovery, is a noncommercial, member-supported public media service of Fordham University for more than 65 years. WFUV has received national recognition for its award-winning weekday format of adult album alternative music, award-winning local news and sports, and a diverse weekend lineup. WFUV's robust website has extensive audio archives, videos, song playlists, an events calendar, blog and other resources.