Mac An Chait - Paul Bradley (Fiddle); Declan Corey (Mandolin); Ruairi Cunnane (Guitar and Vocal); Ger Fitzgerald (Vocal).
Some of the finest musicians on the traditional Irish music scene gathered together into one band/collective, will play live in Mick Murphy's, Ballymore Eustace, Co.Kildare on Monday March 10.
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| Paul Bradley |
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| Declan Corey |
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| Ruairi Cunnane |
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| Ger Fitzgerald |
Paul Bradley
- Fiddle
Originally
from Co Armagh, fiddle-player, fiddle teacher and maker Paul Bradley has represented Irish
Fiddle Playing at the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, Port Townsend,
WA, following in the steps of fiddlers such as Liz Carroll, Tommy
Peoples and Kevin Burke. He has performed at major festivals in
Drannouter in Belgium, Folkest in Italy, Celtic Connections, Shetland
Fiddle Festival (with Guitar Ace Ruairi Cunnane), Vijlandi Folk Festival in
Estonia to name but a few. Paul was a featured player at Baltimore
Fiddle Fair, Cork.
He has made numerous TV and radio appearances in Ireland and
abroad over the years.
More recently, he joined the
Chieftains on stage at their concert in Barretstown Castle
and was also invited on stage with Dirk Powell, Michael McGoldrick, Francis
Brendan Gleeson.
His
solo fiddle album 'Atlantic Roar' earned him a five star review in the Irish
Times (1998) and Paul is presently working on a solo album
incorporating a number of his own musical compositions on a violin of his own
making.
A tutor at Scoil Samhraidh Willie
Clancy for over a decade, Paul is in demand for workshops and
Masterclasses at home and abroad.
A rare home outing for this Tour de
Force of Irish Traditional music.
Declan Corey
– Mandolin
Tyrone
born Declan Corey is one of Ireland's
finest mandolinists. He grew up in a house steeped in traditional Irish music
and dance. As a child Declan’s main
influence was his grandmother, Lilly Corey, who was a great melodeon and
harmonica player and John Loughran, the legendary blind fiddle player from
Pomeroy, Co Tyrone.
Declan
is a master musician, and brings a lot of drive and energy to any live
performance. He recorded his first album
with his family (The Corey Family “Traditional music from the Mountain Road”) at
the age of eleven. He has since gone on
to record and play with most of Ireland's top traditional musicians including
Josephine Marsh, Paul Bradley, Derek Hickey, Máirtín O’Connor, Tommy Peoples,
Don Stiffe, Mick Hanley & Sharon Shannon.
Declan also plays other forms of traditional music from around the world
and has recorded with Japanese rock star Akeboshi. Declan is a composer of new tunes, some of
which can be found on recordings of Lia Luachra and most recently former Water
Boy Steve Wickham has recorded one of
Declan’s tunes with his new band No Crows. Declan’s tunes can also be
found in Walton’s Mandolin Tutor. He tours worldwide with numerous bands and
solo artists. Apart from presenting workshops in Ireland,
Europe and the US, he is a
regular tutor at the University
of Limerick B.A. course
in Traditional Music and Dance.
Declan
is now based in Galway and continues to teach
and tour.
Ruairí
Cunnane – Singer/Guitarist
Described as the Michael Flatley of
Guitar, Ruairí Cunnane follows in
the footsteps of his father Mickey as a talented guitarist. He is widely sought
after as a backer for Traditional Irish Music and as a subtle interpreter of
songs on guitar. Ruairí is a veteran of many festivals at home and abroad
including the Shetland Fiddle Folk and Fiddle festivals with singer/song writer Bríd Murphy and Paul
Bradley.
As well as being in demand for
touring with bands and solo artists, Ruairi is also much sought after as a
studio guitarist by many musicians and singers. He brings much of the
accompaniment styles of the seventies into his sound along with something that
is entirely his own. Percussive and attacking, his style is rich and his sound
is full and it has been said of him that it is hard to believe that one man can
play so many notes at once.
Besides his obvious and prodigious
talent on the guitar, he is also a singer with a smooth voice and a unique
style.
He is currently based in the
musically thriving city of Belfast
where he is regarded as one of the finest musicians around.
Ger
Fitzgerald – Singer
A singer since childhood in
Roscommon, Ger Fitzgerald has
consistently been recognised as a singer of substance. After a brief period of
successful participation at national level, she went on to adjudicate singing
competitions at fleadhanna Cheoil.
In 2013, Ger performed at Feis na Gael at the Séamus Ennis Centre alongside
Scots singer and piper Alan McDonald. At the Pan Celtic Festival Carlow
she performed a Damian Mac Gabhann penned song entry in the Gaelic
language song writing competition. She later featured as guest singer
at An Góilin Traditional Singers Club. A performance at the Frank Harte
Festival was followed by acclaimed performances at the County Wicklow
music festival Music Under the Mountains and The Des Carty Sessions. Ger hosted
and performed as a guest at the Ballymore Eustace Singing Festival.
Ger
also performed with Srón and Orchard
Road in "Closing time - songs of Cohen/Dylan/
Waits" and The James Connolly Songs of Freedom project (courtesy of Matt
Callahan). More recently Ger cameoed with the Chieftains at their Barretstown Castle gig.
Ger is planning a solo album and will be featured on a forthcoming
recording with the band Mac an Chait, which features some of Traditional Irish
Music's most seasoned musicians.
A
special singer with her own style and the old style, her
singing encompasses many genres beyond Trad and Sean Nós.
A flavour of Paul's Fiddle playing to keep you going for now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4pTAN1zoQ4
