Altan are an Irish folk music band formed in County Donegal in 1987 by lead vocalist Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and her husband Frankie Kennedy. The group were primarily influenced by traditional Irish language songs from Donegal and have sold over a million records.
Karan Casey is an Irish folk singer, and a former member of the Irish band Solas. She resides in Cork, Ireland.
Susan McKeown is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, arranger and producer.
Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh is an Irish fiddler and the lead vocalist for the Irish folk music band Altan, which she co-founded with her husband Frankie Kennedy in 1987. Ní Mhaonaigh is recognised as a leading exponent in the Donegal fiddle tradition, and she is often considered one of the foremost singers in the Irish language, her native tongue. She was part of the Irish supergroup T with the Maggies who performed in January 2009 at Temple Bar TradFest in Dublin their first ever two concerts under that name and who released in October 2010 their debut album. After nearly 22 years with Altan, on 28 December 2008 Ní Mhaonaigh premiered in Gweedore her debut solo album Imeall which was later released worldwide in February 2009. After 29 years with Altan, in October 2016 Ní Mhaonaigh released her alternate band Na Mooneys' debut album Na Mooneys.
Declan O'Rourke is a singer-songwriter from Kinvara, Ireland.
John Sheahan is an Irish musician and composer. He joined The Dubliners in 1964 and played with them until 2012 when The Dubliners' name was retired following the death of founding member Barney McKenna. As of April 2024, he is the last surviving member of the definitive lineup of the Dubliners.
Kieran Hanrahan is an Irish radio host and musician. Born in Ennis, County Clare, he began playing traditional Irish music on the tenor banjo at the age of fourteen. Over the years, Hanrahan has helped to found a number of traditional bands, including Stockton's Wing, Inchiquin, and the Temple-house Ceili Band.
Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill is an acclaimed Irish traditional singer, keyboard player, and composer. She is considered one of the most influential female vocalists in the history of Irish music. Throughout her career, Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill has worked with renowned traditional Irish groups such as Skara Brae, The Bothy Band, and Nightnoise. In February 2024 it was announced that she was to be recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 6th RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards.
T with the Maggies are an Irish traditional supergroup from County Donegal, Ireland. The group first performed together in 2007 at a tribute concert to folk singer and guitarist Mícheál Ó Domhnaill, older brother of Triona and Maighread, and released their debut album in October 2010.
Robbie O'Connell is an Irish singer songwriter who performs solo, as well as with The Green Fields of America. He also appears with Dónal Clancy (cousin), Dan Milner, and fiddler Rose Clancy. O'Connell has also toured and recorded with The Clancy Brothers, being their nephew. For over 20 years, he has conducted small cultural tours to Ireland with Celtica Music & Tours and, for more than ten years, WGBH Learning Tours. Married with four grown children, he now spends his time between Bristol, Rhode Island and Waterford.
Beoga are an Irish folk band. They were formed in County Kerry in 2002 at the All-Ireland Fleadh although the original four members of the band hail from County Antrim and County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. The line-up features Damian McKee on accordion, multi-instrumentalist Seán Óg Graham, pianist Liam Bradley and Eamon Murray on bodhrán. Niamh Dunne, from County Limerick, joined in 2005, on vocals and fiddle.
Dónal O'Connor is an Irish multi-instrumentalist, producer and television presenter from Ravensdale, County Louth, Ireland. He is a member of Belfast-based Irish traditional groups Ulaid & At First Light.
This is a summary of the year 2013 in Irish music.
Fiach Moriarty is an Irish singer-songwriter and television presenter from Dublin, Ireland. His debut album So I came out in 2010 which appeared in the Irish top 100 album chart and peaked at 62. His second record was released in April 2015 and debuted at number 29 in the Irish chart.
Declan Masterson is an Irish uilleann piper, traditional musician, composer and arranger. In addition to pursuing a solo career and playing with Moving Hearts and Patrick Street, Masterson was one of the Riverdance musicians.
Na Mooneys is the debut (eponymous) self-produced album from Irish folk music band Na Mooneys, released in October 2016.
The Soma Festival is an annual music, arts, and cultural festival. The festival includes concerts, musical performances, well-being activities, art exhibitions and stalls, language events, celebrations of food and drink, music workshops, and pub sessions. The festival began in 2013 and takes place in Castlewellan, County Down in Northern Ireland. The festival is directed by Belfast-born singer Tíona McSherry and run by a team of volunteers. The Festival Club brings together musicians and festival visitors on a nightly basis.
Liam O'Connor is an Irish fiddler, collector, researcher and teacher from County Dublin. He is the current director of the Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA). O'Connor has been described by The Journal of Music as "one of the outstanding fiddle-players of his generation".
The RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards are annual awards presented by RTÉ Radio 1 to celebrate the best in Irish folk music. The awards were established in 2018 and include recipients such as Martin Hayes, Emma Langford, Declan O'Rourke, Moya Brennan, Andy Irvine, Saint Sister, Steve Cooney, Lisa O'Neill and Lankum.
Ireland In Music is a TV programme first broadcast on RTÉ One Television on December 29, 2020, featuring a number of Irish-based musicians performing in locations around Ireland.
