Mark Bickford started playing Irish music on mandolin as a graduate student in Madison Wisconsin. After moving to Austin Texas in 1983 he started a session there and met Ken Fleming at Texas Irish music events (and was even at Ken and Peggy's wedding reception). He took up concertina, tenor banjo, and button accordion (B/C initially, switching to C#/D two decades later). He now lives in Ithaca New … [Read more...] about Mark Bickford
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Peter Brice
Peter Brice sings old songs in a traditional style, and plays Irish traditional music on the button accordion. A native Annapolitan and an exponent of Baltimore, Maryland's Irish traditional music community, Peter's work blends singing and musicianship with musicology and history, humor, colorful design, and a vision for traditional culture as the foundation for an intellectual life. A lifelong … [Read more...] about Peter Brice
Dan Brouder
Dan Brouder is a well-respected exponent of the West Limerick accordion style from Monagae, a parish on the outskirts of Newcastle West. He learned his music in the surrounding parishes of Ardagh, Carrigkerry and Glin on the Sliabbh Luachra boundary from accordion player Donal de Barra and concertina player Timmy Collins from West. Limerick and from flute players Donal O’Sullivan and Francis … [Read more...] about Dan Brouder
Dermot Byrne
Dermot Byrne hails from the Inishowen peninsula of Co. Donegal, the most northerly part of Ireland, and has played accordion from the early age of four. He learned from his father Tomás O’Beirn from Teileann in South West Donegal who is an enthusiastic promoter of the tradition. Dermot at the age of only seven had already achieved an All Ireland Title at the Buncrana Fleadh Cheoil … [Read more...] about Dermot Byrne
Johnny B. Connolly
Johnny B. Connolly was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland and has been immersed in Irish traditional music since he was eight years old. By the age of 15 he was a regular feature around his hometown, performing with musicians sometimes twice his age. Johnny’s dexterity on the accordion earned him a slot with established Celtic ensemble Anam at the age of 17. For the next two years, he continued to … [Read more...] about Johnny B. Connolly
Rick Cunningham
Multi-instrumentalist Rick Cunningham has played traditional Irish music for over 40 years, playing in several bands in the southern US during that time. He primarily plays mandolin and button accordion, and also plays bouzouki, guitar, and whistle. Rick placed 1st in solo mandolin in the Midwest Fleadh Cheoiland, competed in the All Ireland in 2006, and he has taught at several festivals and folk … [Read more...] about Rick Cunningham
Michael Dugger
Michael Dugger has been playing Irish music since 1982 when he was a founding member of the early super Irish American music group, Scartaglen. He was also a founding member of Sunrush and The Kelly Band. Though he started out in the music playing the stringed instruments, a left hand injury pushed him in the direction of the button accordion. He has been playing the box since 2001. He’s has shown … [Read more...] about Michael Dugger
Michael Eskin
For the past 25-plus years, Michael Eskin has been playing traditional Irish music on a variety of instruments, including Uilleann pipes, tin whistle, wooden flute, Anglo concertina, and B/C-tuned button accordion. Since January 2000, he has co-hosted the weekly Tuesday night Irish session at The Ould Sod in San Diego, California, as well as being in the hosting rotation for the Sunday … [Read more...] about Michael Eskin
Ken Fleming
Ken Fleming has been playing Irish music for more than four decades in the Dallas area on tenor banjo, button accordion, concertina, guitar, bouzouki and mandolin. His love of Irish music led him to become involved in 1983 in the formation of the Southwest Celtic Music Association and North Texas Irish Festival of which he was the founding president and founding director respectively. In the … [Read more...] about Ken Fleming
Colm Gannon
Colm Gannon was born, in Dorchester, Boston, MA. of Connemara parents. His father John, from Droim and his mother Gerry from Tuirin, both moved to America in the 1950’s. He learned to play music from his father and brother Sean. From a young age he was exposed to a variety of great musicians. Around Boston, in his younger years, Colm was lucky enough to play regularly with Seamus Connolly, Tina … [Read more...] about Colm Gannon