Tributes have been paid to the renowned fiddle player Eithne Vallely following her death in a road crash at the age of 81.
Mrs Vallely (née Ní Chiarda), who was a well known figure in the Irish traditional music world, died at the scene of the collision on Friday morning.
Police confirmed the 81-year-old pedestrian was struck by a lorry on the Portadown Road at around 8.20am on Friday.
A native of Lifford in Co Donegal, tributes have been paid to the fiddle player for her contribution to traditional music and her legacy and cultural impact in her home of almost 60 years, Armagh.
Alongside her husband Brian, she helped to found the Armagh Pipers Club in 1966.
Brian and Eithne Vallely.
The club has since grown into a staple of Irish traditional music, with up to 200 students every year.
Taking to social media, the Armagh Pipers Club paid tribute to its founding member and her musical skill: “Her enormous contribution to Irish traditional music was recognised nationally with many awards and honours.”
Táin Media also paid tribute to Eithne online.
“Through their family, their teaching, their encouragement of generations of young musicians, and their extraordinary commitment to the tradition, Eithne and Brian helped create a musical community in Armagh that has become known and respected throughout Ireland and beyond.”
In 2022, Táin Media and TG4 created a documentary on the extraordinary life and work of Eithne and Brain’s family.
“Spending time with Eithne, Brian and the wider Vallely family gave us an even greater appreciation of the warmth, generosity and quiet determination that lay behind such an extraordinary musical legacy.”
Tributes have continued to pour in from beyond the musical community. Dáire Hughes, Sinn Fein MP, praised her as a “giant of Irish culture”.
“Eithne was a giant of Irish cultural life in Armagh and across Ireland – a pioneering musician.
“Her decades of contribution to music and cultural expression cannot be overstated, evidenced by her countless awards and honours.”
Armagh SDLP councillor Thomas O’Hanlon said: “Eithne may have come from Donegal, but she made Armagh her home and what a contribution she made to the cultural life of our city and far beyond.
“There’s no doubt Eithne leaves a huge gap in the Vallely family but also across the cultural community of Armagh, this island and beyond.”
Police have issued an appeal for information and dash-cam footage related to the collision.