Tutors

Derek Hickey hails from Adare, Co. Limerick. Both his grandfathers played fiddle and his own musical career began at ten years of age when his uncle left an accordion in the family home. Derek progressed to dance tunes within weeks though he didn’t begin lessons – under the tutelage of Dónal de Barra – until he was 12.

Derek’s professional career began three years later when he joined the Shannonside Céilí Band. Formed by the Liddy family the band was particularly popular in the north of the country. It also toured extensively in England and made regular trips throughout Europe.

In 1991 Frankie Gavin asked Derek to join him for regular sessions in his then leased hotel in Kinvara, Co. Galway. One year later, at just eighteen years of age Derek joined Arcady, Johnny ‘Ringo’ McDonagh’s band. Frances Black, Brendan Larrisey and Patsy Broderick were also members of the band at that time and many other household names have played in the line-up including Sharon Shannon, Cathal Hayden and Gerry O’Connor.

In 1995 Derek joined the legendary De Dannan. The De Dannan sound has always been based around the interaction between Frankie Gavin’s virtuoso fiddle and the box. Other great box players in De Dannan’s colourful history have included Jackie Daly, Mairtin O’Connor and Aidan Coffey. His pairing with Gavin proved to be one of the best box and fiddle duets ever. He toured with De Dannan until they disbanded in 2003. Derek is a button accordion tutor on the BA Irish Music and Dance at the Irish World Academy.

Diarmuid Ó Meachair is an Accordion player and sean nós singer from Cúil Aodha, Co. Cork. He is also an accomplished Melodeon player and sean-nós singer. He was awarded the prestigious TG4 Young Musician of the year award in 2022. Diarmuid is part of the teaching staff at the Department of Music in UCC.

Diarmuid has released 3 solo albums in the past two years, "Siúl na Slí" (December, 2022), "Melodeon Medleys" (July, 2023) and "Diarmuid Ó Meachair" in (July 2024). He was nominated for 2 RTÉ Folk Awards in 2023, "Best instrumentalist" and "Best emerging artist".

A native Irish speaker from Cúil Aodha in the Múscraí Gaeltacht, Diarmuid has won many sean nós singing competitions at the Oireachtas na Gaeilge.

In 2023, he was commissioned by The John Dwyer Festival and the National Arts Council of Ireland to compose a suite a music in memory of the great Dwyer family from Beara.

In 2016, Diarmuid won the Senior All Ireland melodeon title at the Fleadh in Ennis at 19 years of age. In 2018, Diarmuid graduated from Mary Immaculate College with a Bachelor’s degree in Primary Education.

As a soloist, Diarmuid has been invited to teach at multiple festivals in Ireland, Europe and the US. In 2023 he was invited by the legendary Frankie Gavin to join his group Dé Dannan. They have played at multiple festivals in Ireland, UK and Europe. In May they performed on The Late Late Show.

Brendan McCarthy is an innovative accordion player from county Cork. His grounding in the music of his local area and Sliabh Luachra has been complimented by his immersion in the accordion styles of modern English masters, such as Andy Cutting and Karen Tweed. Brendan plays a specially designed accordion which allows for versatile bass playing.

He plays in an ensemble with Conal O'Kane and Aisling Drost-Byrne and 2025 will see them release their debut record together.

Brendan is a graduate of the Irish World Academy.

Conal O’Kane is a Philadelphia native and graduate of the University of Limerick’s BA in Irish Music and Dance and MA in Irish Music Performance programs. A multi-instrumentalist, he originally played fiddle before focusing on guitar, which gives him an unusual insight into both the melodic and harmonic structures of a large repertoire of tunes. He studied music theory with Roberto Pace at the Settlement Music School, which gives him a broad spectrum of accompaniment techniques from a wide range of musical genres.

In addition to his busy touring schedule with the band Goitse, he is also a guitar teacher on both the undergraduate and postgraduate programs in Irish music at the Irish World Academy in UL, and a regular tutor at the Blas International Summer School of Irish Music and Dance.

Picture Eddie Kavanagh

Marty Barry is a traditional musician/singer from Banbridge County Down, and plays guitar and banjo. Gaining a huge interest in music from a young age, Marty went on to study at the University of Limerick. After graduating, Marty has been a full time performer/tutor and is working on his debut solo album. He has toured extensively throughout Europe, Australia and China and has just recently guested on trad albums such as Caitlin Nic Gabhann, Ciaran O Maonaigh and Cathal Curran’s new album ‚The High Seas‘ and Alan Reid and Rachel Conlon’s 'A Quare Yield‘.

Marty usually plays his guitar in drop-d tuning, in rar cases in dadgad. In his workshop he shows drop-d tuning but if desired he also teaches dadgad tuning.

Hailing from Waterford, Alan Colfer is a virtuoso guitar player, composer and instrumentalist whose unique style incorporates genres from across the globe. He is a highly regarded exponent of fingerstyle guitar and teaches at the Irish World Academy of Music at the University of Limerick since 2006.

Colfer’s style is unique, weaving influence from Scandinavian music, Irish folk, blues and soul, traditional and world music, and he is widely recognised as one of Ireland’s finest instrumental guitarists.

Is seinnteoir bouzouki agus cumadóir ó Phort Láirge é Macdara Ó Faoláin, atá aitheantas bainte amach aige as a chuir chuige nuálach i gceol traidisiúnta na hÉireann.

Taibhíonn Macdara le comhoibrithe ceoill ar nós Victoria Adiiye agus Cormac McCarthy, chomh maith le bheith mar thionlacanaí go rialta ina stíl leithleach féin. Tá sé mar bhall de thríréad le Páraic Mac Donnchadha & Pádraic Keane chomh maith atá aitheanas ar leith tugtha dá gcéirnín Beo.

Tar éis blianta de dhioscliosta fairsing mar thionlacaí, d’eisigh Macdara EP aonair, Do Shamhlaigh Mé Tír Nua… a bhí mar réamhcheol dá chéad albam aonair, Ar Thaobh Chill an Fhuarthainn a sheol sé i Mí Eanáir. . Ainmníodh an EP mar albam na bliana ag gradam Nós, chomh maith le duais Nuatheachtaí na Bliana a thógaint leis. Ainmníodh é mar Ionstramaí na Bliana ag na RTÉ Folk Awards le déanaí chomh maith le bheith mar Cheóltóir Óg na Bliana TG4 i 2024. Tá ról ar leith á bhaint amach ag Macdara mar fhigiúr suntasach i gceol traidisiúnta na hÉireann.

Macdara Ó Faoláin is a bouzouki player and composer from Co Waterford, renowned for his innovative approach to traditional Irish music.Macdara performs regularly with collaborators such as Victoria Adiiye and Cormac McCarthy, and frequently accompanies various musicians, with his distinctive approach to the Irish bouzouki. He is also a member of a trio with Páraic Mac Donnchadha and Pádraic Keane. Their album Beo, was hailed as "one of the best albums of the past few years” by the Irish Echo.

After building an impressive discography as an accompanist, Macdara released a solo EP Do Shamhlaigh Mé Tír Nua… in 2024, serving as a prelude to his debut album Ar Thaobh Chill an Fhuarthainn. These releases show Macdara as a solo musician and as a collaborator. The EP was recently nominated for album of the year by Nós as well as Macdara being nominated for Best Folk Instrumentalist at the RTÉ Folk Awards. Named the Young Musician of the Year by TG4 in 2024, Macdara is solidifying his place as a significant figure in the world of traditional Irish music.

Conor Broderick, a virtuoso pianist hailed for his extraordinary musicality, has captivated audiences worldwide with his enchanting performances.

Formally trained at The Irish World Academy, at which he now tutors, he honed his skills under the guidance of eminent mentors, such as padraig O’Reilly, Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin and Ryan Molloy to name a few. Broderick’s interpretative depth and technical brilliance set him apart, leading to numerous accolades and invitations to perform with renowned artists across the globe.

His repertoire encompasses a wide range, from classical and Jazz masterpieces to contemporary compositions, each delivered with a unique blend of passion and precision. Broderick’s artistry extends beyond the stafe, as he actively engages in collaborations with fellow musicians. Conor has played in over 50 countries around the world, including Zimbabwe, Japan, China and Russia.

Conor plays with world renowned musicians, such as singer/songwriter Sean O Meara, and accordion soloist Damien Mullane.

Ryan Molloy is a composer and performer from Pomeroy, Co. Tyrone, currently resident in Co. Kildare. His music has been recorded on over thirty albums and his repertoire spans numerous genres from traditional Irish music to contemporary classical music. He has worked with a host of internationally renowned artists such as Fergal Scahill, Seán Óg Graham, Paddy Glackin, Iarla Ó Lionáird, North Cregg, Barry Kerr, the Danish String Quartet, the Ulster Orchestra, and Irish Chamber Orchestra, amongst many others.

He has written over fifty works and his music has been performed to audiences on four continents for over twenty years, as well as featuring regularly in national and international TV and radio broadcasts (including BBC, RTÉ, TG4 and RnaG). As a composer, Ryan has represented Ireland at the prestigious ISCM World New Music Days festivals in Hong Kong (2015), Vancouver (2017) and Auckland/Christchurch (2022).

Described as a ‘milestone’ in traditional piano performance, Ryan’s critically acclaimed first solo recording pianophony was released in 2019 and earned him two RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards nominations in 2020 and 2021. That year also saw the release of Tempered, a new CD of music for uilleann pipes and piano, as well as a digital EP featuring the 30-minute song cycle Buaine na Gaoithe performed by its commissioners, the Damselfly Trio. Ryan is currently Associate Professor of composition at Maynooth University. He is also reported to own a fiddle.

Alec Brown is a contemporary cellist living in Limerick, Ireland. He was awarded a PhD from the University of Limerick for an arts practice thesis focussing on Irish traditional music on the cello. He is also deeply rooted in many other genres including; classical, folk, bluegrass, jazz, blues, and many more. After studying with cellists such as Dr. Stephen Feldman, Natalie Haas, Rushad Eggleston, Neil Martin and others, Alec has developed a unique contemporary style that spans multiple genres of music. He has performed extensively throughout Ireland and in parts of Europe with a wide range of bands and artists.

"A fresh take on Irish music which incorporates the cello in a beautifully subtle yet driving way…great tune choices, well-crafted arrangements, and a killer groove. Alec Brown has it all…pure joy to listen to!" - Natalie Haas

"Alec Brown has approached Celtic rhythmic playing on the cello in a new and dynamic way - incorporating an uplifting and unique style to his music. While surrounded by a group of highly talented musicians, Alec brings his Irish cello stylings to the forefront of the performance, proving yet again, that you can never have enough cello…" - Eric Wright, The Fretless

Dr Sandra Joyce is currently Executive Dean (Interim), Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Limerick.  Previous to this, she was Director of the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, UL, for over 9 years.  

A traditional singer and bodhrán player, she has performed all over the world, most recently in Boston (Harvard University), Milwaukee IrishFest, Washington DC (Walter E. Washington Convention Centre), Beijing (Irish Embassy) and Shanghai (Irish Consulate).  She also performed in recent live-streamed and pre-recorded events for the Blas Summer School/North Atlantic Fiddle Convention 2021, as well as for the Dock Arts Centre, Carrick-on-Shannon as part of their series entitled ‘Carry the Tunes.’

Sandra is currently Course Director of the MA Irish Music Studies at the Academy.  Her research interests include the Irish harp and song traditions, historical ethnomusicology and, most recently, environmental humanities.  Together with Helen Lawlor, she is editor of Harp Studies: Perspectives on the Irish Harp (Four Courts Press, 2016), with a second volume focusing on international harp practices to be published shortly.  Sandra is also a member of the Irish Humanities Alliance Environmental Humanities Working Group.  

Niamh Parsons has come to be known as one of the most distinctive voices in Irish music. Her voice has drawn comparisons to such venerated singers as Dolores Keane, June Tabor and Sandy Denny. The great Scottish balladeer Archie Fisher said of Niamh, ‘a songstress like her comes along once or twice in a generation.’

Since the mid 1990s, Niamh has also been the vocal, song and performance teacher with Ceoltóir, the Irish Traditional Music Performance Higher Diploma, in Ballyfermot College of Further Education (BCFE).  Niamh also has many international students who are taught traditional songs and singing online.

It has been said that while Niamh may not be the most famous Irish Balladeer, many feel she’s the best. Described in the Boston Herald as both emotionally haunting and tonally as clear as crystal, Niamh’s albums have been ‘must-have’ collector’s items for any lover of songs and singing. With 9 Albums to her name, Niamh has gathered a body of songs from many sources, both traditional and modern songwriters.

Growing up in Dublin, Niamh’s music-loving parents brought herself and her sister to the local folk club in The Old Shieling Hotel in Raheny, where the young girls were exposed to songs and singing from the likes of The Johnstons, Emmet Spiceland, Sweeney’s Men, Dolly McMahon, Danny Doyle and many of the other musicians and singers that were playing in Folk clubs at that time. ‘My father was a great singer, and on long journeys the family used to sing in the car – I don’t remember a time in my life when I was not singing – I love songs.’

Niamh developed this love into a penchant for collecting songs. She is always on the lookout for songs that speak to her – listening to new albums, scouring the Traditional Music Archives in Dublin, sharing notes with a network of friends and other singers. Once she discovers a song she likes, Niamh views herself as the vehicle for the music. ‘For me the song is more important than listening to my voice’, she says. ‘I consider myself more a songstress than a singer – a carrier of tradition.’

Throughout her career, Niamh has performed with a wide variety of artists, and has appeared at nearly every prestigious folk festival on either side of the Atlantic. As a member of the traditional Irish band Arcady (led by De Dannan’s Johnny ‘Ringo’ McDonagh), she sang on their Shanachie recording Many Happy Returns. She appeared before President Clinton and Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern in Capitol Hill, Washington, joined Grammy Award winner Paul Winter for an album and a summer concert in New York, and performed on ‘A Prairie Home Companion’ when the show broadcast live from Dublin.

Singing from an early age Deirdre Scanlan from Ballina, Co Tipperary, has been at the forefront of traditional and contemporary Irish music for a number of years. An all Ireland champion at junior and senior level Deirdre is an accomplished solo and ensemble performer. 

Deirdre’s debut recording ‘Speak Softly’ which included some of her own original song was released to critical acclaim and brought her to the attention of the Irish American traditional group ‘Solas.' From 1999 to 2007 she took centre stage as lead vocalist with the group touring extensively throughout the US, Japan and Europe. 

She has performed on a variety of stages from London’s West End to Radio City Music Hall NYC as well as headlining numerous international festivals, some of which include The Cambridge Folk Festival, Celtic Connections and Lorient Interceltic Festival.

In 2007 Deirdre left Solas and returned home to Ireland a move that has allowed Deirdre to return to her traditional singing and teaching roots. Currently she is taking a career break from her role as a primary school teacher in Tipperary. A much sought after song tutor she has given workshops at festivals including Feakle Festival, the Geordie Hannah Traditional Singing Weekend, South Sligo Summer School and Scoil Eigse at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. She has given master-classes to MA and BA students at the Irish World Academy of Music and is now teaching traditional singing at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance in the University of Limerick.   

Deirdre was previously a member of the Coiste Ceoil, a sub-committee of the Ardchomhairle of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, where she engaged in the promotion of traditional singing, as well as facilitating Fleadh Cheoil adjudication seminars in Ireland and the UK. In 2018 Deirdre was presented with a 'Bardic Award' by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann in recognition of her work in the promotion of traditional singing, in both English and Irish.

Her media credits include, The Late Late Show, TG4’s ‘Spillane an Fánaí’, ‘Na Bailéid’ with John Spillane and Fleadh TV. An accomplished fiddle player Deirdre teaches traditional singing and fiddle with Droichead Trad in Killaloe Co Clare, she is also co-founder and co-ordinator of Kincora Trad Fest in Killaloe and Ballina.