During 2011 we have witnessed a number of innovative work, much of it thanks to the Imagine Ireland initiative unleashed by Culture Ireland.  
 
But there is a fair amount of imagination and creativity that springs up around here as well, and there is a great example of it in a new recording from violinist/fiddler Dana Lynn and Kyle Sanna which will be launched in New York next week.   
 
On Wednesday, November 23 at 8:30 p.m. at CafeVivaldi (32 Jones Street, off Bleecker in Greenwich Village; 212-691-7538.) the new CD titled' The Hare Said a Prayer to the Rainbow and Followed the Fox Down the Hole' will be unveiled.
 
As intriguing as the CD name is, the mix of music features Irish traditional tunes, original compositions and improvised intermezzi. It will appeal to the most seasoned music aficionado or a whimsical one.   
 
Lyn, known to many in the Irish trad scene around New York, is a serious and highly gifted Irish fiddler who often stars in Mick Moloney ensembles here and around the country.
 
She has a rich and varied musical repertoire rooted in her classical music training since her early years in Los Angeles growing up in a Taiwanese household. 
 
Equally accomplished is Sanna, who comes from Portland, Oregon and Madison, Wisconsin as a guitarist and composer with a deep jazz background.
 
Because of the Lyn’s deft fiddling in the Irish scene, this makes for a compelling Thanksgiving Eve.

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Coming up on December 1 are two events on Manhattan’s West Side worth your attention.
 
On that Thursday night at 8 p.m., Irish pipers in New York have rallied together for one of their own in a benefit for Eamon Dillon, a Belfast piper who moved to Florida a number of years ago who has been seriously ill recently and has staggering medical bills to face.  
 
Pipers Cillian Vallely, Ivan Goff and Jerry O’Sullivan have organized a night of music at the Irish Arts Center (553 West 51st Street) and will be joined by fiddler Tony DeMarco and guitarist Eamon O’Leary. There could be some surprise special guests as well.  
 
Dillon was one of the guest artists at the Northeast Tionol in 2010, and his sister Roisin Dillon was a long-time member of Cherish the Ladies.
 
Further uptown at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater in Symphony Space is a return visit of Bob Childs’ traveling ensemble Childsplay, where many of the artists performing in the troupe playing stringed instruments crafted by the multi-talented New England-based Childs.  
 
Rounding out the string section playing Child’s handiwork are some guest performers in singer Aoife O’Donovan, singer and flautist Shannon Heaton, harpist Kathleen Guilday and percussive dancers Nick Gareiss and Shannon Dunne, two of the more expressive dancers in the roots scene today.  
 
The show is at 8 p.m. Visit childsplay.org, tickets.symphonyspace.org or call 212-864-5400.   
 
On Friday night, December 2 at 9 p.m. is another Blarney Star concert highlighting four of the great young musicians currently tearing up the trad patch over in the Irish American scene. 
 
Fiddler Dylan Foley, accordionist Dan Gurney, piper/flutist Issac Alderson and guitarist Sean Earnest have already distinguished themselves individually at fleadhs and festivals, but come together this night for a rollicking night of tunes at NYU’s Glucksman Ireland House.  Check out blarneystar.com for more info.