Mary Bergin - Tin Whistle
"Just about the best Tin Whistle player this century," is how the Irish Times referred to Mary in a recent interview. She was born into a very musical family and began playing at an early age winning many awards in Oireachtas and Fleadh Ceoil competitions, including the All-Ireland Championships at Junior and Senior level.
Mary's first solo album "Feadóga Stáin" brought out in 1979, holds its place as a classic in latter-day traditional music. Her second solo one in 1992 was referred to as having Biblical status with fans of Celtic music.
She has toured extensively in Europe, America and in Australia playing in concerts and festivals, and giving workshops and seminars. She has also given masterclasses in many Universities around the world.
In 1990, Mary, together with musicians Kathleen Loughnane and Dearbhaill Standun, formed the group "Dordan" whose particular and distinctive mix of traditional Irish and European baroque music has achieved wide acclaim, receiving the National entertainment Award for traditional music in 1993. Dordan have recorded 4 CDs.
In 2000, Mary herself won the prestigious "Traditional Musician of the Year Award."
She also tours regularly with her sister and brother-in-law Antoinette and Joe Mc Kenna who are renowned for their unique sound of Harp and Uilleann pipes.
Mary Bergin's playing is a, "dazzling combination of technique and passion."
Máire O'Keeffe - Fiddle
Máire O'Keeffe is a fiddle player, originally from Tralee, Co. Kerry but now living in Kinvara, Co. Galway. She learned to play the fiddle from Castleisland musician, Nicky McAuliffe and her many influences include the fiddle traditions of her native Kerry as well as the fiddling of Donegal and Clare musicians.
She has long had an avid interest in the fiddle music of Scotland, Shetland and particularly the fiddle and piano based traditions of Cape Breton Island in Canada where she was artist in residence at the internationally renowned Celtic Colours Festival in 2009. Máire has given fiddle workshops all over the world including a nine month stint during the early 1990s as a visiting Irish Traditional Music teacher in Australia.
From 1990 to 1992 Máire was presenter of The Long Note, one of RTÉ radio's longest running traditional music programmes and later that decade she hosted a live two hour programme weekly on Clare FM.
For many years she was a fiddle tutor at the Willie CLancy Summer School and for the past twelve years she has presented a much sought after "performance class" at the school where students are afforded an opportunity to listen to and interact with some of the legendary fiddle players in Irish traditional music.
For over ten years Máire was the director of Fleadh na gCuach, Kinvara's highly successful arts and traditional music festival.
In 2007 she set up the Joseph Browne Spring School of Traditional Music following the untimely death of one of her fiddle pupils, nineteen year old Joseph Browne from Crusheen in Co. Clare. In 2011 the school, which takes place each year during the February school's midterm break, relocated to Kinvara which boasts some exceptional musicians from many different musical disciplines. Máire also founded KYM - Kinvara Young Musicians - in 2009 and this group now has over 45 young musicians from the locality performing in a variety of events. They performed the first public concert at the newly opened theatre at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance in University of Limerick in 2010.
In Oct 2010, Máire was awarded a Ph.D. at the University of Limerick for a study entitled, "Journey into Tradition: A Social History of the Irish Button Accordion".
Kevin Rowsome started playing the uilleann pipes at the age of six. He took his first lessons from his grandfather Leo and later from his father Leon.
During his teenage years Kevin played clarinet and tenor saxophone with the Artane Boys band.
Kevin gained public recognition when he won first prize in the uilleann pipe competition at the Oireachtas, and is widely regarded as one of today's finest uilleann pipers.
Kevin has gained vast experience as a performer and instructor of the uilleann pipes, performing extensively and lecturing and instructing at a number of Irish music festivals throughout Europe and USA.
As well as his own debut recording, "The Rowsome Tradition", five generations of uilleann piping in 1999, Kevin has recorded and performed over the years with various artistes.
Kevin also has a number of musical compositions to his name. He gained wide recognition as a composer in 2006 when he won the prestigious Cuisle Ceoil an Bhlascaoid (the musical pulse of the Blasket islands) competition.
Caoimhín Ó Fearghail - Uilleann Pipes
Caoimhín Ó Fearghail comes from a musical family in An Rinn, Co. Waterford.
He started learning the tin whistle at the age of 8 taking lessons from Bobby Gardiner and quickly progressed to uilleann pipes, taking lessons from David Power and later Jimmy O'Brien-Moran. He regards these as some of his strongest influences along with some of the great old pipers Séamus Ennis, Willie Clancy, Tommy Reck, Patsy Touhey and many more.
The influence of the sean-nós singers from his home area, the likes of Nioclás Tóibín, are also evident in his playing of slow-airs especially. He is also self-taught on flute and guitar.
He has won numerous awards as a soloist on various instruments, including at the All-Ireland level.
With a group of musicians and singers from his home community called 'Bóthar na Sop', and with guest appearances from well known local artists, he recorded an album Giorraíonn Beirt Bóthar in 2006, and they have toured in Newfoundland, Canada twice. In early 2009 he performed with the group Solas in Moscow. In April 2010 he toured around Boston with Kerry fiddler James Duggan.
He is also a musician in the 'Booley House' show based in Ballyduff, Co. Waterford for the past 2 years. He also teaches music weekly around his home area.
Caoimhín plays frequently in sessions around Cork (where he goes to college), Dungarvan, An Rinn, and numerous other places.
Edel Fox is a concertina player from Miltown Malbay Co. Clare. She began playing at the age of 7 and was fortunate to be brought up in an area and environment where traditional music was in abundance.
Edel learnt much of her music from concertina players Noel Hill, Dymphna O'Sullivan, Tim Collins and Tony O'Connell as well as local musicians such as Pete Haugh, Michael Mahoney and Peadar Crotty. Over the years, Edel's playing has been hugely influenced by the music and recordings of Willie Clancy, Bobby Casey, Junior Crehan and Mrs. Crotty, to name but a few.
Edel spent much of her teenage years playing with, and learning from Jackie Daly, who she cites as one of her influences. In 2004, Edel was awarded the TG4 Gradam Ceoltóir Óg na Bliana (Young Musician of the Year). Since then she has travelled extensively as both a teacher and performer of the tradition. She released an album to critical acclaim with Ronan O'Flaherty in 2006.
Edel spent some time studying in the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick where she received a BA in Irish Music and Dance in 2007. Edel is a recent graduate of the MA in Music Therapy. In addition to her work as a music therapist, Edel continues to teach concertina and perform extensively.
Edel has just released her debut solo CD entitled "Chords and Beryls".
Diarmuid O' Brien from Limerick is well renowned as one of Irelands finest and sought after fiddle players.
Having started learning traditional Irish music at the age of 9 he had won all Ireland honours by the age of 15.
His music hails from the West Limerick/Sliabh Luachara tradition which is one associated with the rhythmic lift of Irish dance music. His vibrant fiddle playing and unique style has earned Diarmuid a high reputation in the music industry and has seen him tour extensively with various groups performing in countries throughout the world including America, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Dubai, to mention but a few.
He has performed at home and all over Europe on all stages including the Irish National Concert Hall.
He has performed for Uachtaran Na hEireann, among other celebrities and public figures such as An Taoiseach, and the Prime Minister of Australia.
In 2007 Diarmuid released a CD entitled "Cairde Caridin". The CD which received critical acclaim reached no 8 in the "Top 10 albums of the year 2007" by the Irish Echo new newspaper in New York City and received 8/10 in a review by Sarah McQuaid of "Hot Press magazine."
Andrew Murray - Singing
Andrew was born and reared on the island of Inishbofin, Co. Galway, Ireland.
He came to the attention of the public at large as a result of being asked to join the famous Galway based group, De Dannan, in 1997/98. Until that time, his ability as a singer was known by a relatively small group of people who lived on, or visited, Inishbofin.
Among that group of people, however, were many well known musicians. Alec Finn, of De Dannan, being one of them, met and heard Andrew singing at a session in the Murray family hotel, The Doonmore Hotel. Soon after that Andrew joined De Dannan as their new vocalist, replacing Tommy Fleming.
In the years since then, Andrew has travelled the world with De Dannan and others. He has toured in China twice, The United States many times and most countries in Europe as well as the four corners of Ireland. He has shared the stage with some of the greats of Irish music and has performed with many of them.
Those who have heard him won't find that strange, as his warm, deep, resonant voice, described as being like, "a blend of warm tar and brown sugar," is instantly recognisable and "... inspires the audience to hang on his every word."
With the launch of his first solo CD, Hell or High Water, Andrew is set to take his singing to a greater audience, an audience you will want to be part of. If you hear this man once you're sure to want to go back for more.
Marcus Maloney - Banjo & Mandolin
Limerick born, now living in Clare, Marcus is a multi All Ireland banjo and mandolin champion.
His unique style and technique makes him one of Ireland's top banjo players.
Marcus has toured extensively throughout Canada, America, Europe, Africa and Australia over the last twenty years with Comhaltas and various other noted musicians.
Currently, Marcus is involved in a series of banjo concerts entitled Banjaxed with fellow musicians such as Cathal Hayden, Brian Mcgrath, Angelina Carberry, Enda Scahill, John-Joe Kelly, Ed Boyd to name but a few.
He is also noted as one of Ireland's top banjo tutors, tutoring over twenty years.
With such a distinctive style and vibrant energy Marcus ensures great entertainment.
Dan MacDonald - Fiddle
Dan MacDonald is from a family of musicians from the small village of Ironville, Cape Breton and began playing fiddle at a very early age.
After spending years attending University, recording and performing in Nova Scotia, the Northwest Territories, Newfoundland and the United States as both fiddler and drummer, MacDonald moved to Toronto in 2003, where he became a co-host at the lrish music session at Dora Keogh lrish pub and later became a member of the traditional lrish group, Spraoi.
Spraoi has played to sold out audiences at the Tranzac, Hugh's Room and the Brampton Folk Festival.
In 2006, MacDonald joined The Magic of Ireland, an lrish dance and music show, with which he toured the UK, Canada, the USA and Europe eventually to become music director.
An active freelance performer and teacher, MacDonald is in high demand throughout Southern Ontario, where he performs and teaches at various venues and events.
Paul MacDonald - Guitar
Guitarist Paul MacDonald has performed with numerous Celtic artists including Jerry Holland, Brenda Stubbert, Otis Tomas, Paul Cranford, The Boys of The Lough, Joe Derrane, Máire O'Keeffe, Brendan Mulvihill, Hamish Moore, John MacLean and Fred Morrison.
Today Paul is a member of The Rocky Shore, The Poe Trio, and performs with his brother, Cape Breton Irish style fiddler Dan MacDonald.
Paul is also a sound engineer, producer, collector, writer and researcher for over twenty years and has an extensive discography that includes traditional music from Cape Breton,
Ireland, Scotland and the Appalachians.
Paul has taught at numerous workshops and festivals throughout his career, including the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, and from 2003 to 2007 Paul was adjunct professor of Celtic Music at St Francis Xavier University, Antigonish Nova Scotia.
Paudie O'Connor is an accordion player from Sliabh Luachra Kerry. His playing follows in the traditions of Sliabh Luachra with his influences ranging form the bowing of Padraig O Keeffe and Denis Murphy to the to time spent in his youth playing with local box players Johnny O Leary, Jimmy Doyle and John Brosnan. In 2005 he launched a landmark recording of Sliabh Lauchra music entitled Different State which featured in the best of 2005 lists of both The Irish Times and The Irish Echo. Paudie's music also featured on the album The County Bounds, a 1999 Ossian records production featuring a compilation of music from the Cork Kerry Border including contributions from Johnny O Leary, Jackie Daly and Peadar O Riada.
On Different State, Paudie is joined by his wife Aoife, a fiddle player from Tralee, Co. Kerry. Aoife learned her music from local teachers Anne and Nicky McAulliffe. She plays a style very much in synch with the Sliabh Luachra tradition and contributes much to the unique settings and rhythm that typifies their duet playing. Paudie and Aoife's music features regularly at music festivals both in Ireland and abroad and has featured on many RTE and TG4 programmes over the past number of years including the "The Late Session Live from Liberty Hall" series of concerts in 2003.
In 2008 Paudie released the album Wind and Reeds with ex Riverdance Uileann Piper John O Brien and Jim Murray on guitar. Paudie is a regular contributor to traditional music festivals, workshops and lectures at home and abroad. In October 2010 Paudie performed in the music ensemble as part of Rough Magic's production of Phaedra for the Dublin Theatre Festival and in 2011 presented an episode of Geantraí featuring many of the musicians currently playing in Sliabh Luachra.
Antaine Ó Faracháin - Singing
Born in Dublin Antaine is a traditional singer in both Irish and English.
He produced/presented three television series on traditional song for TG4,
'Coiscéimeanna Ceoil', 'Bláth na Sú Craobh' and
'Amhráin is Ansa Liom'.
He has experience of giving traditional singing workshops to all ages. Some of his songs can be heard on:
'Seachrán Sí' (Cló Iar-Chonnachta, CICD 135) and
'Where Linnets Sing' (Góilín).
Sean Ryan - Tin Whistle
One of Irelands best known whistle players Sean Ryan, has a distinctive style that is instantly recognisable.
Sean tours throughout Europe, the USA and Japan and is in great demand for concerts, workshops and master classes.
He is delighted to be invited back to Skerries again for this years festival.
Denis Collins - Flute
Denis Collins is a flute player living in Donabate and has been playing around North County Dublin for the last twenty years. He started playing music in London under the guidance of Brendan Mulkere.
His Uncle, Jerh Collins was a fiddle player from Knockachur outside Castleisland and Denis attended many sessions in his house with players coming from North Kerry and West Clare. Jerh was a pupil of the Kerry fiddle master Pádraig O'Keeffe.
