Pat Egan

Originally from County Tipperary, Pat Egan now resides in Baltimore, Maryland. While growing up in his native County Tipperary, Patrick loved the music so much that he used to take his guitar on the back of a horse and cart to school every week to get lessons from his school teacher, Phil Kelly. He would also trudge across fields and farmland with his guitar just to get a song from local singer John Norton. Luckily, there were lots of singers and guitarists in his home parish and one of the first musicians he ever heard playing traditional Irish music was his neighbor – uillean piper Michael Cooney with whom, along with Paddy O’Brien, he would later go on to form the band Chulrua.

Patrick began playing professionally when he moved to Westport, County Mayo in the 1980’s. Patrick quickly became established in the music scene in Westport, performing with musicians such as banjo player Francis Lynn, accordion player Tommy Doherty, Donegal resident Kevin Hyde (of the group Malin Head) and Swedish uillean piper/whistle player Jorgen Fisher. While there, he also formed a long partnership with penny whistle player Olcan Masterson, with whom he toured Europe and the U.S., and recorded Westport Town. Patrick recorded with many different musicians while living in Westport – most reputably on the internationally acclaimed Music at Matt Molloy’s.

In the early 1990’s, Patrick visited the U.S. to play at the famed “McGurk’s“ in St. Louis, Missouri with piper Michael Cooney and County Clare accordion player Nuala Hehir. Shortly after, Patrick was invited back to the U.S. by the great accordion player Paddy O’Brien to form the band Chulrua.

For a while, Patrick split his time between St. Louis and Westport. On a few visits home, he recorded Live at Lenahan’s with accordion player/singer Joe Carey and the late fiddle player Paddy Mills. Patrick also played on Fonnchaoi with fiddler Julie Langan and accordion player Verina Commins.

Patrick developed an interest in Old Time music while living in St. Louis – playing with fiddle player Barbara Weathers and national steel and old time banjo player, Tom Hall. He also recorded with Old Time banjo player Dave Landreth on his CD, Chairs. Patrick still enjoys traveling the U.S. to play with and listen to Old Time and Irish musicians.

After St. Louis, Patrick lived for a few years in Fairfield Iowa where he played frequently with uillean piper and former bandmate Tim Britton before moving to Baltimore, Maryland in the fall of 2003. Patrick still tours regularly with Paddy O’Brien and new Chulrua member, fiddle player Patrick Orceau.

Patrick has taught at numerous workshops at festivals throughout the U.S. including Alaska. He has taught at the Tionól in St. Louis and has been teaching for the past two years at the Catskills Irish Arts Week in East Durham, NY. Patrick has made extensive tours of the United States, and has also performed in Sweden, Norway, Holland, Germany, Scotland, Spain and France. He has appeared on numerous television and radio programs in Ireland and abroad.