St Valentine’s Day - The Dublin Connection While there are not a whole lot of definitive accounts of St Valentine’s life in the 3rd century AD, it is believed that on February 14 278AD, Valentine was beaten with clubs and then executed by beheading for defying a marriage and engagement ban put in place by Roman Emperor Claudius II. Valentine, then working as a Christian priest, continued to marry couples in private and paid for it with his life. St Valentine's Irish Resting Place Wh...
Modern Day Irish Button Accordion Legend – Tony MacMahon Published: January 29, 2021 'There's no bog hole too deep for all the accordions in Ireland’ is a sentiment that some might agree with, but definitely not something you’d expect to hear from the mouth of one of Ireland’s greatest accordion players. If ever there was a statement to sum up the great Tony MacMahon, that’s it! A wonderful contradiction of talent, humility and self deprecation, Tony is one of the greatest Irish button...
How to Care For Your Irish Wooden Flute Wooden flutes are a thing of beauty but my goodness they are temperamental. Irish wooden flute maintenance is vitally important to the life of your flute. A well cared for flute will continue to produce a beautiful sound for years to come. A poorly maintained flute however will lose its tone and produce a wispy sound even in the hands of the most experienced flute player. Cracks and other damage can make a flute unplayable. So how do you avoid these...
The Ultimate Irish Tenor Banjo Buyer's Guide Published: December 16, 2020 So you’ve decided to learn the king of Irish string instruments - the Irish tenor banjo. (Don’t tell the fiddle players I said that!) Excellent choice. And now you’re faced with the daunting task of choosing a banjo. Don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place. Choosing a new instrument is no easy feat. As a result of the banjo’s popularity across so many genres, there’s an abundance of banjos for sal...
There’s no shortage of great banjo players in the Irish music scene to draw on for inspiration. One of my personal favourites however is the brilliant Enda Scahill. Enda’s revolutionary banjo playing is iconic, not only in its virtuoso levels of technical skill and musical ability, but its electrifying toe-tapping energy. What makes his banjo playing so revered? Keep reading to find out. First Love Enda Scahill is a four-time All Ireland Champion banjo player from Corofin, Co. Galway. He...
Published: December 9th 2020 There's no shortage of brilliant bodhrán players in traditional Irish music today. This once ridiculed and overlooked frame drum has gone on to become the heartbeat of Irish music. It's a true rags to riches, zero to hero story. I'm often asked who my favourite bodhrán players are. So I've put together this list of some of the best movers and shakers on the Irish percussion scene. You already know of my love and admiration for the fantastic Rónán Ó Snodaigh so...
Published: December 4, 2020 There’s no denying that Noel Hill has become one of the most influential Irish concertina players in the world of traditional Irish music. His influence is far reaching and second only to the iconic Mrs. Crotty. The most important legacy that any musician can leave in their wake is a generation of younger musicians following in their footsteps. Noel Hill has most definitely achieved this. The virtuoso concertina player from Co. Clare has gained legendary stat...
Published: December 4, 2020 The Irish accordion first found its way into Irish traditional music in the late 19th century and has continued to evolve in style and popularity ever since. The 1940s and 1950s saw a surge in traditional Irish accordion playing. One of the most popular accordions to emerge from this golden age was crafted by the iconic Italian accordion maker, Paolo Soprani. Paolo Soprani accordions have been deemed as the reigning champion ever since. How and why did traditi...
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