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Over the last number of years ITMA has interviewed musicians, singers and dancers during the Willie Clancy Summer School in Miltown Malbay. The interviewees come from across all aspects of the tradition and from all over the island of Ireland. A new interview will be released on YouTube and on the ITMA website at 4pm each Wednesday.
Presented by ITMA’s Clare Officer, Liam O’Brien.
Ruth and Libby McCrohan are sisters from Dublin who are well known on the Irish traditional music scene. Ruth is an accomplished flute player, while Libby is recognised for her sensitive bouzouki accompaniment and musicianship. Both are members of the Len Collective and are regular figures in Dublin’s session scene, often playing in venues such as The Cobblestone and Pipers Corner.
Diarmuid Ó Meachair is an accordion and melodeon player and sean-nós singer from Cúil Aodha in the Múscraí Gaeltacht of County Cork. A native Irish speaker, he is regarded as one of the leading young musicians in traditional Irish music and was named TG4 Young Musician of the Year in 2022.
Mairéad Casey is a set and sean-nós dance teacher from Newtowncashel in south-west Longford. She grew up in a musical household where traditional music, singing and dancing were central to family and community life. Her parents, Bridgie and James Harley, were both musicians, and Mairéad first learned to dance to her father’s fiddle playing.
Fionnán Mac Gabhann is an uilleann piper from Churchtown, Dublin, with family roots in Newport, County Mayo. He learned the pipes from his father, Ultan Mac Gabhann, at a young age and later studied with a number of leading pipers through Na Píobairí Uilleann in Henrietta Street. His playing has been strongly influenced by pipers such as Willie Clancy, Séamus Ennis, Michael Carney and Seán McKiernan. Fionnán has performed and taught widely throughout Ireland, Europe and the United States, both as a solo musician and as a member of the acclaimed group Skipper’s Alley.
Macdara Ó Faoláin is a bouzouki player, fiddler and singer from An Rinn, County Waterford. A native Irish speaker, he is known for his distinctive approach to accompaniment and composition, blending traditional Irish music with a wide range of musical influences. He performs regularly with musicians including Victoria Adiiye and Cormac McCarthy, and is also a member of a trio with Páraic Mac Donnchadha and Pádraic Keane. In 2024, he was named TG4 Young Musician of the Year.
Victoria Adiiye was raised in Uganda, where she first studied traditional Ugandan music and classical guitar before discovering Irish traditional music. After moving to Minnesota, she became involved in the local Irish music scene and later settled in Ireland. A singer, guitarist and banjo player, Victoria performs regularly with Macdara Ó Faoláin and is known for a unique style shaped by both her East African and Irish musical backgrounds.
Verena Commins was born in Coventry to Mayo parents who emigrated to England as part of the large Irish community that settled there in the 1950s and ’60s. She grew up surrounded by Irish music and culture and began playing through the local Comhaltas branch, where traditional music was a big part of community life. Summers spent back in Ireland also helped shape her strong connection to the tradition.
The McCarthy family are among the best-known musical families associated with the West Clare tradition of Irish traditional music. Jacqueline McCarthy (concertina), Marion McCarthy (uilleann pipes and whistle), Bernadette McCarthy (fiddle and piano) and Tommy McCarthy Jr. (fiddle) were born in London to Irish parents who emigrated from the west of Ireland in the early 1950s. Their father, the celebrated piper and concertina player Tommy McCarthy from Kilmihil, County Clare, ensured that traditional music was central to family life from an early age.
Patsy Hanly is a renowned Irish flute player from Kilrooskey, County Roscommon, and is regarded as one of the leading exponents of the Roscommon/North Connacht style of flute playing. Known for his rich tone, rhythmic drive and expressive ornamentation, Hanly has had a profound influence on generations of traditional flute players in Ireland and beyond.
Róisín Chambers is an acclaimed sean-nós singer and fiddle player from South County Dublin, recognised for her powerful voice and distinctive interpretation of traditional song. Raised in a deeply musical family, she grew up immersed in Irish music, language and culture, developing a strong connection to the sean-nós tradition from an early age.
Patsy Moloney is widely regarded as one of the finest flute players in Irish traditional music. Originally from West Limerick and long based in Birmingham, he has been a central figure in Irish music circles for decades, admired for both his musicianship and his deep knowledge of the tradition.
This week’s Queally’s interview is with Tommy Keane. Born in Waterford City, Tommy took up the pipes in his early twenties after meeting local piper Tommy Kearney. He learned further piping skills from Brian Gallagher, Pat Mitchell and Liam O’Flynn, and is also influenced by recordings of Willie Clancy, Séamus Ennis and Tommy Reck.
Seán McKeon grew up listening to music at home in Dublin with his parents Gay McKeon (uilleann pipes) and Mary Corcoran (fiddle and piano) being his earliest influences. He began playing the tin whistle at the age of 6 under the guidance of Maureen McGrattan. Within two years Sean progressed to the uilleann pipes receiving lessons from Seán Óg Potts.
Maureen and Kathleen tell us about their musical upbringing in Mullagh and their connection to the Mullagh set.
Originally from The Liberties area of Dublin, where many of the Dublin piping families lived, Mick O’Connor is a well-known flute player, archivist, researcher and music historian. As a musician, he has broadcast and recorded with Seán Keane of The Chieftains and Charlie Lennon.
Anne Skelton is a native of Claremorris, Co.Mayo though she has been living in Galway for almost 30 years. She began singing at the age of 8, learning songs from her father – John Kelly – a singer and step dancer who learnt in turn from his father and uncle. Her style follows in the line of her mother’s family – the Murrays – who were all singers as well. Anne’s singing also takes a lot from the Northern Singing Tradition, and she was influenced in particular by the music of Rita Gallagher and Róisín White.
0:06 Interview
9:23 – The Connaught Ranger, song
14:53 – Interview
25:45 – The rising of the moon (comp. John Keegan Casey), song
28:25 – Interview
A world-renowned piper, Jimmy O’Brien Moran has been teaching the advanced uilleann pipes class at the Willie Clancy Summer School since 1977. As a member of the group Scullion he recorded an album and toured Ireland and Europe. Since then Jimmy has released two solo albums and played on many other recordings. Jimmy has played around Ireland, Europe, Japan, as well as Australia and New Zealand, the USA and Canada.
0:06 – Interview
11:20 – An buachaill caol dubh, slow air
13:24 – Interview
22:31 – Easter snow, fling ; Síle Ní Ghadhra (comp. John Kelly), fling
Recorded in Queally’s Bar, Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare during Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy 2024. Martin speaks about his life growing up in a house of music and dance in Derradda, County Mayo.
0:06 – Interview
46:30 – St. Patrick’s Day, setdance (Music by Nicole Ní Dhubhshláine)
Thomas is a highly accomplished musician from Ballyduff Upper, Co. Waterford. He is an All-Ireland Senior Banjo champion and multi-award winner on mandolin and bodhrán. Thomas is a member of the Glór na dTonn Ceilí Band, and the Comhaltas National Folk Orchestra. He has also toured extensively; around Ireland & the UK with Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, and around Europe as part of the 25th Guinness Irish Christmas Tour.
0:07 – Interview
0:55 – Jim Donohue’s favourite, jig ; Frost is all over, jig
4:35 – Interview
9:45 – Paddy Moran’s down the meadow, reel ; Devaney’s goat, reel
13:22 – Interview
16:13 – Caha mountains (comp. John Dwyer), reel ; The spring well (comp. Finbarr Dwyer)
20:25 – Interview
26:10 – Kerry mills, hornpipe ; Sailor on the rock, reel
Jim Carroll is a singer and music collector born in Liverpool and now based in Miltown Malbay for many years. Interview by Alan Woods. Recorded in Queally’s Bar, Miltown Malbay, during Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy 2024.
Seán Ryan and Ciara Callanan Ryan in conversation with Cormac Cannon & Kathleen Loughnane. Recorded in Queally’s Bar, Miltown Malbay, during Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy 2024.
0:00 – Take the air and walk about (comp. Mary Ryan, née Bradshaw), jig ; The old legacy, jig
3:08 – Interview
25:55 – The blackbird, set dance
27:47 – Interview
31:17 – Seán Ó Duibhir a ghleanna, song
35:32 – Interview
44:44 – Slán le Máigh, slow air
46:56 – Interview
1:00:10 – The tinkerman’s daughter, reel ; The Galway rambler, reel
1:03:00 – Interview
1:12:13 – Did you see the black rogue?, waltz
Mary McNamara and Sorcha Costello are this week’s interview in our Queally’s Series. Born in the townland of Clondanagh between Tulla and Feakle, from an early age concertina player Mary McNamara was in the company of the great masters age of Irish Traditional Music of the region such as John Naughton, Martin Rochford, P. Joe Hayes, Francie Donnellan, Joe Bane and Bill Malley. Her daughter, fiddle player Sorcha Costello, was awarded with the prestigious Gradam Ceoil TG4 Young Musician of the Year in 2021 and has enjoyed performing nationally and internationally including tours of New Zealand, Australia and America.
0:00 – Intro
0:06 – Interview
23:30 – The laccaroe, reel ; The pigeon on the gate, reel
25:51 – Interview
38:58 – The old maids of Galway, reel ; My Mary Anne/ Kitty in the lane, reel
Dónal Maguire is a singer, mandolin and tenor banjo player who originates from Drogheda, Co. Louth, but has lived in England ever since emigrating at the age of 15. Influenced at first by The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem and The Dubliners’ Luke Kelly, Dónal subsequently fell under the spell of the ‘high’ style of traditional singing exemplified by Joe Heaney, Elizabeth Cronin and Paddy Tunney.
Paul McGrattan, who comes from Dublin’s northside, has been playing flute since an early age and is now regarded as one of the top traditional flute players in Ireland. Dublin fiddle player Paul O’Shaughnessy, also a whistle and flute player and an occasional composer, has been playing fiddle since his childhood, and has long been recognised as a leading traditional musician in the city.
0:00 – Brian Luby’s ; John Egan’s ; The girl with the blue dress on
3:13 – Interview
15:22 – John Egan’s, reel ; Eddie Moloney’s favourite, reel ; The Drogheda lasses, reel
18:01 – Interview
39:04 – The walls of Liscarroll, jig ; Na Ceannabháin bhána, slip jig ; The collier’s, jig
Button accordion master James Keane was born in Drimnagh, Dublin, in 1948 into an intensely musical family. He began playing the box at the age of six, and by the time he was ten, he was an active musician in the Dublin traditional music scene alongside greats such as Seamus Ennis and Sonny Brogan. As an adult, Keane and his brother, fiddler Seán Keane teamed up with flautist Mick O’Connor to assemble a group of musicians that would become the musical “melting pot from which the Chieftans would emerge.”
Eileen is an All-Ireland champion in both senior fiddle and senior fiddle slow airs. She is also a composer and some of her compositions have been recorded by the artists Matt Molloy, John Carty, The Kane Sisters, Paddy Carty & Conor Tully.
0:00 – Intro
0:06 – Interview
11:55 – The blackbird, air ; The blackbird, set dance
15:50 – Interview
29:20 – The fly in the porter, jig ; The burning brakes, jig
Carme, Geraldine and Kitty tell us about their life growing up surrounded by music, song and dance in Co.Clare.
Seán Talty from Glendine, Miltown Malbay is the fourth of five generations of musicians in his family. His first set of pipes were a boxwood Leo Rowsome set which he got at the time of Willie Clancy’s death.
0:00 – Intro
0:07 – Interview
26:11 – Fraher’s, jig ; I buried my wife & danced on her grave, jig
Aidan Vaughan was born and reared in Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare during the 1940’s and has been dancing and playing the drums since he was 9 years of age. His style was greatly influenced by the music of his area and he says he learned all his dancing by watching and listening to the dancers of West Clare when they were stepping it out in a set.
0:00 – Intro
0:10 – Interview
26:00 – Dance
27:00 – Interview
Mick Mulcahy, from Brosna, Co. Kerry, is a living legend in Irish accordion and melodeon playing, with a rare repertoire of old tunes that he plays in a highly distinctive style.
0:00 – Intro
0:10 – Interview
11:24 – The ferry to Clare (comp. Mick Mulcahy), jig ; Kilglass lake (comp. John McEvoy), jig
13:33 – Interview
16:35 – The three sisters (comp. Tom Doherty), reel ; The trip to Spiddal (comp. Mick Mulcahy)
18:28 – Interview
20:17 – The road to Gloutane (The Kerry Fling), fling
21:41 – Interview
23:23 – The dairy maid, reels
Claire Fennell from Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, plays Flute, Uilleann Pipes and Tin Whistle. She was greatly influenced by the playing of Conal Ó Gráda, Johnny McCarthy, David Power and Caoimhín Ó Fearghail. She has taught and performed at many music festivals throughout the country. Claire is a member of the 2022 All Ireland Céilí Band Champions, Taobh na Mara.
0:00 – Corney is coming, reel ; The strawberry blossom
2:20 – Interview
9:20 – The groves, hornpipe ; The woman of the house, hornpipe
15:11 – Interview
16:30 – Kitty Rambles/ The rambles of Kitty, jigs ; When sick is it tea you want?, jig
John Faulkner is a musician and singer/song writer. His music is multi-faceted and based on his knowledge of the Celtic tradition. His deep interest in ethnic music of all kinds drew him to the strong traditions of music in Ireland. He spent his early years in London and worked extensively with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger, who had an inspirational influence on him.
0:00 – Intro
0:07 – Interview
14:30 – All the fine young men, song
18:35 – Interview
34:06 – Bonny light horseman, song
Bríd O’Donohue is a tin whistle and flute player from Caherush, now living in Glendine, Miltown Malbay, County Clare. Bríd was deeply influenced by two legends of Clare’s rich musical heritage, her uncle, J.C. Talty of the Laichtín Naofa and Tulla Céilí Bands and uilleann piper Willie Clancy, both of whom, as well as many others, encouraged her musical development.
0:00 – Over the moor to Maggie, reel
2:01 – Interview
14:17 – Tony Molloy’s, jig
15:30 – Interview
27:55 – Hardiman the fiddler, slip jig
Charlie Harris, a highly respected accordionist originally from County Limerick and now a long-time resident of East Galway, is widely celebrated for his vibrant, swinging style and deep commitment to traditional Irish music.
0:00 – Scatter the mud, jig ; Páidín O’Rafferty, jig
2:20 – Interview
14:00 – My love is in America, reel ; The Templehouse, reel ; The heather breeze, reel
17:04 – Interview
24:47 – The boys of the lough, reel ; Miss Monaghan, reel
27:00 – Interview
35:41 – Tim Moloney’s, reel ; Cooley’s, reel
39:45 – Interview
49:20 – The banks of Newfoundland, jigs
50:30 – Interview
Fiddle & Concertina players from Dublin. Interview in Queally’s Pub, Miltown Malbay during the Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy 2023. (CID: 290495)
Having grown up in very muscial families they talk about their musical up-bringing and Méabh’s family pub, The Cobblestone, Dublin.
Timecodes:
0:00 – An seanduine dóite, jig ; Merrily kiss the quaker, jig ; The sweet briar, jig
4:48 – Interview
20:36 – London lasses, reel ; George White’s favourite, reel
24:18 – Interview
31:18 – The boys of Ballisodare, hop jig; Cucanandy, hop jig
Connie O’Connell is a fiddle player from Cill na Martra, Co. Cork – a parish located between Macroom and Ballyvourney. Cill na Martra is in the Múscraí Gaeltacht and is south-east of the area referred to as Sliabh Luachra. Connie has been strongly influenced by the music of Sliabh Luachra, an area encompassing the West Cork and East Kerry border. In particular, he has been influenced by the renowned fiddle players of the region – Denis Murphy, Pádraig O’Keeffe and Julia Clifford. He is regarded as one of the finest present-day composers and exponents of the Sliabh Luachra style today.
