Biography of the Irish traditional music fiddle player Mairtin Byrnes from Co Galway.

THE great Irish novelist John McGahern once said that he expected his characters were waiting for him to die off before taking on lives of their own. The accordeon music of Joe Cooley has taken on a life of his own since his death in 1973.
Joe Cooley was born into a musical family in Peterswell, [...]

by Mac Entee
Widely regarded as one of the most gifted musicians of her generation, Sharon Shannon was born in the Village of Ruan near Corrofin in Co Clare. Her parents IJ and Mary were set dancers and the four children all play music: Sharon accordeon and fiddle, Mary (Bumblebees) banjo, Majella fiddle and Garry, flute [...]

By Ronan Nolan
“I’m a vagabond from Eireann’s isle Sunburnt thumb stuck up in the air”
Singer, songwriter and artist Joe Dolan who died on January 7, 2008, was a founder member of Sweeney’s Men. The prefix ‘Galway’ Joe Dolan was later applied for late night clarity to distinguish him from the showband singer Joe Dolan of [...]