A highly skilled pianist and composer, Michael O'Suilleadhain (pronounced: Michael O'Sullivan) has balanced his career as a performer and his work as a music teacher. His albums have blended masterful orchestration and rich, tradition-rooted piano melodies. O'Suilleadhain launched his teaching career at the University of County Cork in 1969. He... [+] Read More

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The traditional dance music of Ireland is played with fervor and excitement by the County Clare-based quintet Moving Cloud. Originally formed to provide the accompaniment for set dancing, Moving Cloud has evolved into a virtuosic concert band. Their self-titled debut album, released in 1994, was named Best Traditional Album by The Irish Echo.... [+] Read More

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Talented and prolific singer Paul Brady has enjoyed a career that has seen him pass through several major bands and on to a successful solo phase. He began performing as a hotel piano player in Donegal, Ireland at the age of sixteen and graduated to being guitarist, during the 1960s, in two rhythm and blues bands: Rockhouse and the Cult. There... [+] Read More

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Along with groups like the Bothy Band, Planxty helped to usher in a new era for modern Celtic music. While their sound remained rooted to traditional music, the band's virtuosic musicianship and high-energy delivery reflected modern influences, while their unique vocal harmonies and instrumental counterpoint were unprecedented in Irish music.... [+] Read More

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The brother of Dolores Keane, one of Ireland's finest singers, Sean Keane has consistently garnered acclaim for his own talents. A former member of Reel Union, which featured his sister, Mairtin O'Connor, and Johnny Faulkner, and Arcady, which featured Johnny "Ringo" McDonagh, Sharon Shannon, Cathal Hayden, and Frances Black, Keane has made his... [+] Read More

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In the three years the Bothy Band were together, they emerged as one of the exciting bands in Celtic history. Although much of their repertoire was rooted in the traditional music of Ireland, their enthusiasm and musical virtuosity set off ripples that continue to be felt.

The genesis of the Bothy Band was sparked in 1975 when... [+] Read More

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The original traditional Irish folk band, as far as anyone who came of age in the 1970s or 1980s is concerned, is the Chieftains. Their sound, built largely on Paddy Moloney's pipes, is otherworldly, almost entirely instrumental, and seems as though it comes out of another age of man's history. That they became an international phenomenon in the... [+] Read More

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An electrifying fiddler from Donegal, Tommy Peoples has converted more than one person to the religion of traditional Irish music. A member of the Bothy in 1975, he was the propulsive fiddler who powered that group's landmark first album. He also has some magnificent solo work. ~ Steve Winick, All Music Guide

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