Meet our Tutors

FIDDLE - Daire Bracken
BANJO - James Harvey
HARP - Eimear Coughlan
TIN WHISTLE/FLUTE - Niall Keegan

CONCERTINA - Francis Coughlan
BUTTON ACCORDION - Damien O'Reilly
TRAD JUNIORS - Michelle Rattigan

Dr Niall Keegan was born in the south east of England and began playing Irish traditional flute at an early age amongst the community of first and second generation musicians in and around London. In 1990 Niall began studying under Dr. Mícheál Ó’ Súilleabháin for a Masters degree which he completed in 1992 with the submission of a thesis entitled The Words of Traditional Flute Style. He is course director of the new Traditional Irish Music performance masters at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick and also teaches on the ethno-musicology program there. He has given occasional lectures and taught instrumental classes at the Music Department of University College, Cork and University College, Galway, Sibelius Academy, Dublin Institute of Technology, Newcastle University, Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama among others. Since moving to Ireland, Niall has performed extensively throughout the country and abroad in a variety of contexts and venues, including the Royal Albert Hall, Barbican, Project Arts Centre in Dublin, the University of Limerick Concert Hall, The National Concert Hall in Dublin, The Waterfront Hall in Belfast and the Galway Arts Centre. In 1992 he was invited to record at the Traditional Music Archive in Dublin with the bodhran player and percussionist Mel Mercier. Niall has performed Mícheál Ó’ Súilleabháin’s concerto for flute and chamber orchestra, Oilean on several occasions in Ireland and Britain and as part of the jazz/trad fusion group Hiberno Jazz. He is featured on both the recording of the 1994 Eigse na Laoi, Across the Water and the television series A River of Sound made by Hummingbird Productions. Niall also features on the Realworld CD The Gathering. Niall’s solo recording, Don’t Touch the Elk, was released in June 1999 on his own independent label.

Niall is currently director of the B.A Irish Traditional Music and Dance Studies at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick. He recently finished his PhD entitled The Art of Juncture: The Creative Transformations of Traditional Irish Music which examines cognitive structures that traditional musicians use to organise their oral music in a literate world. He is currently on the committee of the Folk Music Society of Ireland and director of the University of Limerick based projects Nomad (aimed at honouring the music cultures of the traveling peoples at the University), Niall was formerly co-director of the Sionna Festival of European Traditional Music, and the Blas International Summer School of Traditional Irish Music and Dance, a university accredited programme. He is currently guest director of the Adult Folkworks sumerschool in Durham, England. He is the author of articles concerning issues of style and literacy in traditional Irish music.

James Harvey hails from Mountrath, Co. Laois where he began playing the Mandolin at aged 7 and the Banjo by the age of 10. By the age of 16, he achieved many accomplishments including four in a row All-Ireland Banjo titles, a further 3 All-Ireland Mandolin titles and became the Senior World Fleadh Banjo Champion.
He studied on the BA in Irish Music and Dance in the University of Limerick graduating with First Class Honours in 2012. This is where his musical boundaries grew and developed. He began exploring Classical, Jazz, Bluegrass and even Latin American music. Many of these influences can be heard in his playing today. He continued his education by completing the Professional Diploma in Education (Music) in 2013.
He was a member of the renowned Irish Group ‘Goitse’ who toured the world extensively. They performed regularly at many of the major Irish Music Festivals in the USA and Germany. They won numerous awards including Live Ireland’s ‘Trad Group of the Year 2015’ and the ‘Freiburger International Leiter Music Award’ in 2016. He recorded four studio albums with ‘Goitse’ which featured a number of his compositions.
He has also become a sought after Banjo Teacher with a number of his pupils winning All-Ireland titles between Banjo and Mandolin. He teaches at many workshops in Ireland and in Europe. He has taught master classes on the BA in Irish Music and Dance and on the Masters Programme in Irish Music Performance.
He is currently working as a secondary school teacher teaching Music. He also teaches in ‘Peter Dee’s Academy of Music’, Limerick, directed by Denis Carey.
“...virtuoso James Harvey. His ability to transcend genres, combined with his unparalleled technical ability is a joy to behold.” Journal of Music 2015.

Eimear Coughlan: from Tulla in Co. Clare continues the musical heritage of her grandfather Paddy Canny. As a multi-instrumentalist, she has performed on several music tours throughout Germany, Austria, Belgium, France and Cyprus with the ‘Irish Harp Orchestra’ including a live performance on BBC at the Titanic Commemoration Concert with singer Alfie Boe and the BBC symphony orchestra. Over the past number of years, Eimear has accumulated 9 All Ireland first place titles at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann and in more recent times, she has been performing with the Tulla Céilí Band. Eimear has performed and tutored at many summer schools throughout Ireland including Scoil Éigse and Consairtín.

Damien O’Reilly is a traditional accordion player and teacher from Corofin Co. Clare. He has toured and played throughout Europe and all over Ireland. In the recent past Damien has collaborated with many greats of Irish music including Frankie Gavin, Noel Hill, Mary Bergin, Tony Linnane, Liam O’Connor, Conal Ó’Gráda, John Carty, James Cullinan, Caitlin nic Gabhann, Kieran Hanrahan, Jack Talty, Mulcahy family, The Raw Bar Collective, and the Kilfenora Céilí band among others.

Damien has been teaching music in his native Clare for 14 years, teaching accordion master classes and group music classes (Inis Óg). He has been a tutor and performer around Europe and many of the country’s festivals including Meitheal, Scoil Samhradh Willie Clancy, Scoil Ceoil na Bhotha Monoghan, Ennis Trad Festival, Fleadh Nua, Cooley Collins Gort, Éigse Dhiarmaidín Baile Bhuirne, John Dwyer Festival, Irish Festival Oulu Finland, Féile Cois Cuain, and the Temple Bar Trad Fest.

Along with his brother Padraic, Damien founded the renowned Corofin Traditional Festival in 2001. The festival has brought back music to the village of Corofin and is a highlight for many of Ireland’s leading traditional artists. His roles over the years have been musical director, chairman and programming the festival for which the festival has received funding from national institutions. In 2011 Damien produced the

critically acclaimed compilation album “Teach Ceoil Concerts – 10 years of the Corofin Trad Fest” as a festival fundraiser. The festival was the first recipient of the MÓR Glór awards back in 2014 as recognition to its contribution to the traditional community.

Damien’s music is heavily influenced by the great accordion/melodeon players from the 1920s right up to the modern day players. He immersed himself in the music of P.J. Conlon, John J. Kimmel and also the Flannigan brothers. Musicians from the North Clare area like Paddy Mullins, Austin Tierney, Jimmy Ward, and Gerry Lynch all had a significant impact on Damien’s style. From a young age he has had a keen interest in fiddle music paying particular attention to Michael Coleman, James Morrison, Paddy Killoran, the Clare fiddle giants of Joe Ryan, Bobby Casey, Junior Crehan, John Kelly and Patrick Kelly. Various music form the 1950s onward with musicians like Joe Cooley, Paddy O’Brien and the Kilfenora Céilí Band have left on impression on Damien. Bands like De Danann, the Bothy Band, musicians Noel Hill, Frankie Gavin, Tommy Peoples, Matt Molloy and Seán Keane (to name a few) all recorded music from the 70s and 80s that Damien couldn’t get enough of. The accordion players which have had a great influence on Damien’s playing include Martin McMahon (Clare), Tony McMahon, Paul Brock, Finbarr Dwyer , Joe Burke, Paddy O’Brien, Jackie Daly, Máirtín O’Connor, Colm Gannon and Derek Hickey. Coming from North Clare, the region has been imprinted in his accordion playing and one can hear the strong rhythmical connection to North Clare whenever Damien plays.

Daire Bracken is well known as a creative fiddle player and founding member of the successful bands Slide, Danú and the Munnelly Band.

Hailing from a musical family located close the CCÉ Headquarters in Monkstown, Co. Dublin, afforded him great exposure from a young age to some of the country’s finest musicians as they passed through the capital. Absorbing these influences, his exploratory style has intrigued listeners and brought about many musical collaborations.

He has toured with the likes of Stockton’s Wing, Púca, Salsa Celtica, Bray Vista, Hazel O’Connor, the Black Family, Niamh Parsons, Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill; including privileged recording and performances with the late Liam Clancy, Dia lena Anam.

Teaching is an inherited skill, with over 20 years of teaching for Comhaltas Ceoltóirí na hÉireann, Waltons New School of Music, Ballyfermot College of Further Educaton, University College Dublin and various schools worldwide. His clear and patient imparting of his insight into various fiddle styles is well received at workshops.

Recent projects include a rejuvenation and interpretation of Early Irish Poetry into music with Lorcán MacMathúna, documentaries, film soundtracks, fusion band Electric Céilí and collaboration with select artists from around the world for Globe the Show.

Francis Cunningham hails from Crusheen, Co. Clare. Described by Kevin Crawford as one of the finest young exponents of the concertina with a strong emphasis on the Clare tradition, he has just released an album with Carl Hession and Eimear Coughlan featuring 40 original compositions by Carl entitled ‘Úrnua’. Having won All Ireland concertina titles, he has taught and performed at various festivals such Scoil Samhradh Willie Clancy, Consairtín, The Feakle Festival, Scoil Éigse, The O Carolan Harp Festival and Concertina Cruinniú.

Michelle from Irishtown Co. Mayo is a graduate in Irish Music and Dance from the Irish World Academy in the University of Limerick. From there she has completed a Professional Masters in Education. Having played music from a young age with Ballindine CCE Michelle has since travelled to different countries playing music, performing at different festivals and teaching workshops. Her specialist areas include tin whistle, flute and singing.

Michelle is currently a member of the new Traditional Irish Music group Bygone Lane.

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