News
A Year of Donegal Fiddling!!!
It’s a year since I set up this platform to learn Donegal fiddle music. This idea of teaching fiddle, was always in the back of my mind, but I was always so busy touring with my band Altan, that I didn’t have the time to sit and do such a thing. So in a way…
Read MoreMy music on ITMA
www.itma.ie TĂĄ onĂłir orm go bhfuil mĂł chuid ceoil nuachumtha, RĂ© an tSolais ar shuĂomh Taisce Ceol DĂșchais Ăireann Ăłn lĂĄ inniu. My music RĂ© an tSolais, is now part of an interactive lessons and posts on the ITMA/Irish Traditional Music Archive website from today as part of their ‘Saothar” initiative. I’m so…
Read MoreNoticed this wasn’t postedNew Song up on Bandcamp.com
Hello everyone, I hope that you are all enjoying your fiddle lessons. I was busy recently composing for a special commission for An GrianĂĄn Theatre, Letterkenny. I curated a night of my own music with the help of friends and family and the highlight of the night was new music under the title RĂ© an…
Read MoreRĂ© an tSolais
Hello everyone, I’ve been really busy composing music for An GrianĂĄn Theatre, Letterkenny, Co Donegal. This will be part of this year’s Letterkenny Trad Week 2021. I love composing new music and this time I have also composed a song for the suite. RĂ© an tSolais means the Time of Light and I am optimistic…
Read MoreNollaig Shona…..Happy Christmas
IMG_0178 A chairde, friends, BuĂochas Ăł chroĂ ar son bhur gcomhluadar agus tacaĂocht i mbliana, chuidigh sibh uilig go mĂłr liom frĂd an dianghlasĂș. How can I thank you for helping me during this year on this new venture of fiddle classes. You do not know how it helped me through this strange time,…
Read MoreHappy November
A Chairde, FĂĄilte roimhe na fidlĂ©irĂ Ășra! Welcome all the new fiddlers! Looking for some guidance for my next recording of lessons which I hope to record soon. What tunes, that I might  know, would you like to learn? Should I put some pointers up about tone/bowing etc? I really want to make these lessons…
Read MoreCork Folk Festival (watch full concert)
It has been a strange time. Altan were supposed to play last Friday September 25th in Ăislann Chill Chartha but because the Covid 19 numbers were going up and Dublin and Donegal having the highest incidence of cases we and the committee decided to postpone this concert until it is safer to have it. Next…
Read MoreMasterclasses at Philadelphia Ceili Group Festival this weekend & Altan Live!
I have been kindly invited to teach two master-classes this Saturday, September 12th, for the wonderful Philadelphia Ceili Group Festival. I’ll be teaching songs in the Irish language, phonetically and also teaching a fiddle master-class. You can find more information or register at philadelphiaceiligroup.org. Please let your friends know! I’m also so excited that Altan…
Read MoreNew lesson â âCĂĄilĂn na Gruaige Doinneâ
Hello friends, As we are now getting into the Autumn months and back to school, I’ve decided to post a beautiful slow-air (fonn mall) for you to learn called CĂĄilĂn na Gruaige Doinne. The title translates as The Girl with the Brown Hair. This is one of my late father’s favourite pieces and also my…
Read MoreVan’s birthday and RTĂ1 radio interview with music and song (listen again)!
Hello, how are you all doing? I have been busy,busy busy! Just to let you know that Altan were invited to share a cover of the wonderful Van Morrison’s song âWhenever God Shines His Light on Meâ for Irish music magazine HotPressâ Youtube celebration of his 75th birthday, which falls on August 31st. We had…
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