Tutors - Meitheal Summer School -

- 2006 Tutors -

Boston fiddler Seamus Connolly is known worldwide as one of the true greats of the Irish fiddle. Recently, he was appointed to the endowed "Artist in Residence" Sullivan Chair in Irish Music at Boston College.
He is founder and director of the Gaelic Roots festival in Boston. In 2002 he was named "Traditional Musician of the Year" by The Irish Echo, a national Irish-American newspaper. In 1999, Irish America Magazine selected Seamus as one of their "Top 100" Irish Americans.
Seamus has numerous recordings to his credit. Released on Green Linnet Records are his two solo CDs: Notes from my Mind and Here and There.

Máire O'Keeffe's music reflects the influence of the Donegal, Shetland, Scotland, Sliabh Luachra and Cape Breton fiddle styles. She spent long musical sojourns on several continents including 9 months in Australia. Máire also presented a series of THE LONG NOTE, RTE radio's longest running traditional music programme.
She has performed and taught widely such as at Milwaukee Irish Fest, Gaelic Roots Festival in Boston College, Green Linnet Festival in New York and Haapavesi School in Northern Finland.
Máire has contributed to countless albums. Her first solo recording was CÓISIR for Green Linnet.

Jesse Smith was born in Los Angeles. In 1998, Jesse moved to Ireland, and joined the band Danu. Over the last eight years Jesse has guested on many CDs including Harry Bradley's- As I Carelessly did Stray, and Colm Gannon's- Return to Driom. Jesse has also released a solo album entitled Jigs and Reels and a CD with Harry Bradley and John Blake entitled The Tap Room Trio. At the present time Jesse is transcribing the complete works of Sligo fiddle player Michael Coleman (1891-1945), which will hopefully be published in the near future.

Aogán Lynch, TG4 Young musician of the year '99 learned his music at home in Cork being subjected to a great wealth of music from his well known Begley relations (Seamus, Brendan and co.) and gigging with his father and immediate family in the Donachadh Lynch Band. Aogán moved to Dublin four years ago and has since been very involved in its music scene. In his time there he has organised events and a few CD releases with colleagues in DCU and recorded an album with fiddle player Michelle O Brien and guitarist (cousin) Gavin Ralston, not to mention his work with Slide. His latest project is a yellow Honda Super Four...".

Tony O'Connell originally comes from the town of Glin in West Limerick. He began playing music at an early age and proceeded to win all-Ireland titles both under age and senior by the age of 18. In the past few years he has toured Asia, America and Europe with various shows and groups. Currently Tony is living in Limerick city where he gigs on a regular basis and teaches concertina at the IWMC in the University of Limerick. His recently-issued duet album with Arty McGlynn & Andy Morrow garnered rave reviews.

Precision, energy, expertise, and invention all rolled together", is how Irish Echo reviewer Earle Hitchner described the flute-playing of Louise Mulcahy on the recent Clo Iar-Chonnachta release, "Notes from the Heart". From Abbeyfeale Co. Limerick, Louise is a well-established performer and tutor on both flute and uilleann pipes, having taught on a number of occasions at Augusta Irish Week in the United States as well as at the Willie Clancy Summer School.

Dubliner Ivan Goff plays uilleann pipes and flute. A former member of Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul, Ivan had extended engagements with Riverdance and Lord of the Dance with Irish traditional bands Lúnasa and Dervish. Ivan's broad musical background includes Masters Degrees in both musicology and computer composition. He is currently studying for his PhD in ethnomusicology at New York University.

Enda Scahill's banjo playing has been described by Irish American News, Chicago as "the best Irish Traditional banjo player we've ever heard". His debut solo album Pick It Up is renowned as one of the best Irish banjo recordings available.
Enda is a member of The Brock McGuire Band whose debut album was voted Best Album of the Year by Irish American News.
He has also performed with the Frankie Gavin Band, The Furey Brothers and Sessions from the Hearth.
A duet album with Paul Brock is being launched in 2006.

Seán Óg Graham is one of Ireland's most dynamic young button accordion players. He has achieved numerous All-Ireland titles and is also a gifted, self-taught guitarist.
He performed with accordionist Alan Kelly's Celtic Legends show and was guest soloist with the Irish Harp Orchestra and the Canadian Youth Orchestra, to name but a few. He is also a talented composer and a wide range of influences is evident in his music writing.
Sean plays with the immensely exciting quartet Beoga.

Conor McEvoy, born in Dublin, now living in Navan, he grew up listening to the Irish traditional music of the 1920's. Michael Coleman's music had a big effect on him growing up and in more recent years so has the playing of Sean Keane.
With both his parents being well-known musicians, he followed in his father's footsteps and started to learn the fiddle where quick progress followed.
Having won under-age and senior Oireachtas titles, he now travels the country teaching at festivals like the Willie Clancy week in Milltown Malbay and playing at concerts be it in Gaoth Dobhair or in Dublin.