Hollywood legend Jeremy Irons has taken time out from his busy schedule to learn how to play the Irish fiddle.
The actor took part in a TG4 series in which celebrities were given expert tuition to help them play a traditional Irish instrument of their choice.
Irons picked up the Irish fiddle and began playing under the tutorship of expert musician Martin Hayes.
Hayes admitted that usually when someone is learning how to play the fiddle for the first time, there is nothing other than ‘painful sounds’ that come from the instrument for the first couple of years.
However, he praised his famous student, saying: “I thought Jeremy was great. He produces a lovely sound.”
Irons also met up with the man who organises the annual Fiddle Fair in Glebe Gardens, Baltimore in Co Cork.
The event attracts Irish music fans from all over the country, as some of the world’s best fiddlers are invited to attend the fair and perform.
Irons revealed: “McCarthy’s in Baltimore, that was the first time I heard Irish fiddling that took my breath away.”
The actor also explained how he struggled to juggle his fiddle practice with his work commitments. He revealed that he took his fiddle with him to New Mexico where he was making a film, but struggled to keep his mind on the music and the sound left his heart while he was away from Ireland.
The video ends with Irons showcasing his newly acquired skills alongside some of the world’s best musicians at the Fiddle Fair in Co Cork.
Watch the video below to follow Irons’ journey.
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