O'Flaherty Irish Music Retreat

Teaching Traditional Irish Music

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Current Instructors & Staff

David Agee

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Multi-instrumental and Kansas native, David Agee, is a pillar of the Kansas City music community. Dave began his career playing blues and rock guitar in his youth then picked up bluegrass and traditional Irish music in his early twenties, splitting time between guitar, mandolin, and fiddle. Dave was a member of the first Irish band in Kansas City, Talisman, and was a founding member of Scartaglen, … [Read more...] about David Agee

David
Agee

Session Leader – Moderate Session  |  Guest Performer – Saturday Dinner

Andy Balinsky

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Andy Balinsky has been playing Irish music for four decades on whistle, flute, and concertina. He has played in folk bands ranging from Greek and Balkan to English Country Dance, Contra, and Irish traditional dance music. He enjoys traveling to Irish music camps around the US and Ireland, combining it with nature photography and birding.  … [Read more...] about Andy Balinsky

Andy
Balinsky

Lecturer – Music Festivals in Ireland

Joseph Beckey

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Joseph Beckey comes from a choral tradition until discovering Irish music at a pub in 2008. One of the musicians taught a class “Traditional Songs In Harmony” at the Center for Irish Music in St. Paul, MN.  After that, he was hooked.  He has taken numerous song classes as well as learning to play mandolin, guitar, bouzouki and bodhrán. Soon after learning his first chords, Joseph was … [Read more...] about Joseph Beckey

Joseph
Beckey

Workshop Presenter – Pub Songs Sing-Along  |  Session Leader – Song Session

Angela Botzer

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A Washington, DC native, Angela Botzer has played traditional Irish music on the fiddle in the Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia area since the early 1980’s. She was a member of the DC-based bands Sodabread, and The Hedgerows, and has played for numerous ceilis and contradances. Angela has also had performances at the Irish Embassy in Washington, DC. When living in Oklahoma City, OK, she … [Read more...] about Angela Botzer

Angela
Botzer

Lecturer – The Irish Travellers’ Influence in Traditional Irish Music | Session Leader – Slow Session

Aileen Bourke

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Hailing from a musical family in Bonniconlon Ballina, is Aileen Bourke, a well established concertina player who prides herself in her North Connacht style of music. She is a graduate from the Irish Music & Dance course at University of Limerick where she received a first class honours in her degree. In recent years, she has played extensively throughout Ireland, the UK and … [Read more...] about Aileen Bourke

Aileen
Bourke

Core Instructor – Anglo Concertina  |  Lecturer – North Connacht Repertoir

2026

Erica Braverman

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Erica Braverman has been playing the concertina since 2014 and teaching beginner lessons in Austin, TX for the past three years. Playing tunes and dancing with friends always makes her smile on the inside, but it took a while for her to learn to play her instrument and smile on the outside at the same time - one of her proudest moments was when she heard that "you don't look like you have lockjaw … [Read more...] about Erica Braverman

Erica
Braverman

Session Leader – Dance Friendly Session

Grace Broadhead

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Grace Broadhead is a fiddler originally from New Mexico and is now based in Nashville, Tennessee.  She found her love of Irish music through her older brothers, who handed down some CDs of Lunasa, the Chieftains, Gaelic Storm and several other Celtic groups. Grace is a member of The Southwest Ramblers, along with Dain Forsyth from Albuquerque, and Hughie Kennedy and Jason Turk from Cork, … [Read more...] about Grace Broadhead

Grace
Broadhead

Melody Player – Bodhrán, Bouzouki, and Guitar Classes  |  Session Leader – Lively Session  |  Guest Performer – Friday Dinner

Testimonials

Former Student

Without parallel!  Never been to anything like this before that was as intense, well-organized and personalized.

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