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    Home > People

    Donagh McElligott

    Donagh McElligott is a concertina player, composer and music teacher from Lixnaw, Co. Kerry. His musical journey began with weekly classes at the Ceolann Cultural Centre  (Lixnaw CCÉ), where he developed a lifelong interest in performing, teaching and composing Irish traditional music.

    Over the years, Donagh has enjoyed success at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in solo, group, céilí band and composition competitions. In 2014, he won the Newly Composed Tunes Competition at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Sligo with his jig Samphire Island, and in 2018 was a finalist in the Bonn Óir Seán Ó Riada Competition.

    Since 2016, Donagh has been a member of the Comhaltas National Folk Orchestra of Ireland, performing at major festivals and events including Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, Temple Bar TradFest, Fleadh Nua, and in the Phoenix Park during Pope Francis’s visit to Ireland in 2018. He is also a member of The Drombeg Céilí Band, based in Co. Cork, with whom he has achieved success at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann and continues to perform regularly at concerts, festivals and sessions.

    A graduate of University College Cork, where he completed a BDS (Hons) degree in Dentistry in 2021, Donagh was an active member of the UCC Traditional Irish Music Society. During his time at UCC, he performed at festivals including Electric Picnic, Kaleidoscope and Birmingham TradFest, and travelled to Vietnam as part of the university’s musical delegation for the 2019 St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

    Alongside performing, Donagh has taught Irish traditional music since 2016, working with several Comhaltas branches across Kerry, Cork and Wicklow. He completed the TTCT Irish Traditional Music Teaching Diploma in 2024. That same year, he co-founded Ceoltóirí na Ríochta with musician and teacher Katie McNamara. Under their direction, the group of young musicians performed at a number of concerts and events throughout New York City in March 2024.

    As a composer, Donagh draws inspiration from the musical traditions of Kerry and the wider Irish traditional music repertoire. Through his compositions, he seeks to contribute to the living tradition by creating melodies that respect its style, character and heritage.

    Instagram: @donaghmce

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