<p style="text-align: justify;">An Irish cultural week helped forged even stronger connections in the Cuban capital, Havana, this month PERHAPS IT was just the heat, but, as Iarla Ó Lionáird lifted his voice into the rafters of Havana’s venerable Basilica Menor de San Francisco de Asis, we felt a shiver run down our spines. To hear Ó Lionáird’s sean nós fill the vast, dim space above our heads, here in the heart of Habana vieja (Old Havana) where music is so vital, was to feel a momentary swell of tír grá. And the standing ovation it received from an attentive Cuban audience confirmed that Ó Lionáird’s nuanced laments touched an emotional chord even for those not raised on its sound.
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