Ciarán Ó Maonaigh

A former recipient of TG4 Young Musician of the Year, fiddle player Ciarán Ó Maonaigh hails from the Gaoth Dobhair gaeltacht in Co. Donegal. Growing up, he was heavily influenced by his extended family; his grandfather and teacher Francie Mooney, Altan members Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and Frankie Kennedy, Derry fiddle player Dermot McLaughlin as well as the Donegal fiddle legend John Doherty amongst others.

Ciarán first album Ceol a’Ghleanna/The Music of the Glen was released in 2004. He is also a member of the band Fidil along with Aidan O’Donnell and Damien McGeehan, and they have released 3 acclaimed albums. Fidil, released in June 2008, was described by Irish Music Magazine as “One of the most challanging and beautifully austere albums of the last fifty years”, 3 was released in 2009 and was awarded both a 5 star review and CD of the week in The Irish Times. In 2011 The Old Wheel of Fortune was released with Songlines magazine declaring it “one of the finest albums to emerge from Ireland this decade.”

Ciarán’s music has been used in films, on television and on radio programmes including the award winning short film Noreen written by Domhnall Gleeson and starring Brendan Gleeson.

In the television industry, Ciarán works mostly in the field of music documentary making. He has produced music documentary’s for TG4 including – Cairdeas na bhFidiléirí and the acclaimed John Doherty – Ar Leirg na Gaoithe, which was awarded the Celtic Media Award for Best Arts Documentary in the Celtic countries in 2013. In 2009 he presented, produced and directed an hour long documentary for TG4 on his late grandfather entitled Francie Mooney – Áit i Mo Chroí. He has worked as a production co-ordinator, researcher and presenter on numerous television series’ for TG4 and RTÉ television and radio such as Sé Mo Laoch, Cérbh É, Cérbh Í, The Raw Bar, Geantraí, The Full Set and Ceolta Chiaráin.

Ciarán is currently involved in the new Irish music theatre production Mag Mell, and is collaborating musically with the award-winning concertina player and dancer Caitlín Nic Gabhann.