Tipperary duelling history inspires Finding A Voice premiere

A new two-piano work by Rhona Clarke, performed by Mary Dullea and Isabelle O’Connell, brings the drama of historic duels — from Aaron Burr to Daniel O’Connell — to life at the 2026 Finding A Voice festival, which runs from 5th to 8th March in Clonmel.

Few people know that Clonmel once played a pivotal role in the history of duelling. In 1777, at the town’s Summer Assizes, a group of gentlemen formalised what became the Irish Code Duello, a 26-point set of rules for settling disputes of honour with pistols or swords. The code spread far beyond Ireland, shaping duelling practices across Europe and the United States.

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This little-known connection fascinated Finding A Voice Artistic Director Róisín Maher, who saw it as the perfect spark for a new musical commission. She asked composer Rhona Clarke to create a piece that would capture the drama, tension, and ritualised structure of duelling in sound, resulting in the two-piano work Duel.

Duel is one of the standout highlights of the 2026 Finding A Voice festival and will be performed by pianists Mary Dullea and Isabelle O’Connell at Old St Mary’s Church on Saturday, March 7.

Clarke’s composition transforms the strategies, suspense, and confrontations of historical duels into a dynamic musical dialogue, bringing the intensity of these contests to life in a contemporary setting.

History provides plenty of gripping examples. In 1804, Aaron Burr fatally shot Alexander Hamilton in a duel that reshaped American politics and inspired the hit musical Hamilton. In Ireland, the political leader Daniel O’Connell mortally wounded John D’Esterre in an 1815 duel over a political insult, an event that haunted him for the rest of his life.

While duelling was overwhelmingly male-dominated, women sometimes took up the challenge. The French opera singer and swordswoman Julie d’Aubigny, known as La Maupin, reportedly fought and defeated multiple male opponents to defend her honour. In the 19th century, women such as Marie-Rose Astié de Valsayre engaged in duels over professional rivalries, proving that courage, pride, and the demand for respect were not limited by gender.

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At Duel, Clarke, Dullea, and O’Connell bring these stories to life in sound. The piece transforms tension, strategy, and confrontation into music, allowing audiences to experience the drama of duelling without bloodshed. By linking Clonmel’s surprising duelling history with contemporary performance, Duel offers a striking blend of past and present, showing how ideas of honour, courage, and rivalry can continue to inspire art in unexpected and compelling ways.

The concert takes place in the beautiful setting of Old St Mary’s Church in Clonmel, and is part of a four-day programme that includes performances by Chamber Choir Ireland, Banbha String Quartet (with National String Quartet Foundation) and Voice Trio. All information and tickets on www.findingavoice.ie