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O'Flaherty Irish Music Retreat

Teaching Traditional Irish Music

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Valerie Plested

February 24, 2019 By Ken Fleming

Photo of Valerie Plested

Valerie is a native of San Antonio, and first began playing the tin whistle at the age of 14 after hearing Irish music for the first time. Soon after, she began taking fiddle lessons from Jim Fox of St. James’s Gate (All-Ireland 1986) in San Antonio. Valerie later joined St. James’s Gate playing the fiddle in 1991, and co-founded the innovative Irish band, Agus, in 1994. She now plays with the Jackson/Orlando-based band, Legacy. At the Augusta workshops, Valerie has had the opportunity to study under fiddlers James Kelly, Brendan Mulvihill, Eileen Ivers, and Brian Conway. Valerie has performed at festivals, concerts, and sessions across the country. She is a familiar sight at festival sessions, and is always up for a tune and the craic. Valerie has recently been recognized by the State of Mississippi as a Master Artist for Irish Fiddle. Valerie appears as a guest musician on Chris Grotewohl’s acclaimed album, Under the Influence (1996), with other accomplished musicians such as piper Kiaran O’Hare, guitarist Zan McLeod, Connie Dover, Roger Landes, and Albert Alfonso. She can also be heard on Legacy’s Navan (1998), An Triréad (2006), An Irish Christmas (2007) and their newest album, Not Making Hay (2008).

Valerie
Plested

Instructor – Fiddle

2009, 2012

Testimonials

Former Student

Of all the wonderful aspects of the retreat, though, I think the most wonderful and the most memorable was seeing the effect it had on my son. Andrew really got into the music and into playing in a way that I have never seen in him. When we got home, he and I told the rest of the family about our experiences and then went right out into the front yard and started playing music. No amount of money

Read all our testimonials…

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O’Flaherty Irish Music Retreat

Traditional Irish Music Education Society (TIMES)
1320 Navaho Trail
Richardson, TX 75080
(469) 215-1840
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