Teachers 2024
We are delighted to announce our six teachers for Cruinniú 2024:
JOHN KELLY
As Ros Comáin ó dhúchas agus lonnaithe in Inis, Contae an Chláir le fada an lá, is é John Kelly duine dos na figiúirí fliúite is aitheanta sa tír. Is minic é le cloisint ag seimint I dteannta Siobhán Peoples, Murty Ryan & Cyril O’Donoghue chomh maith lena dheartháir, Alan. Is lena dheartháir a d’eisigh sé an t-albam iontach ‘Fourmilehouse’ a bhfuair aitheantas thar na bearta. Tá ana mheas ar John mar mhúinteoir ar an fheadóg mhór agus chomh maith le cuid mhaith All-Irelands a bhuachaint é fhéin, tá craobhacha tugtha leo ag ana chuid daltaí leis thairis na blianta. Sé seo an chéad uair do John a bheith linn ag Cruinniú na bhFliúit agus táimid ag súil go mór leis.
John Kelly hails from Roscommon Town, an area steeped in the tradition of flute playing. Traditional Music took a very central part in John’s life from a very young age and soon he had won All-Ireland honours in every underage category. In 1995, John moved to Ennis, Co. Clare and quickly became an integral part of the town’s thriving traditional music scene performing with musicians such as Siobhan Peoples, Murty Ryan and Cyril O’Donoghue.
In 2003, John released a duet album ‘Fourmilehouse’ with his brother Alan, which gained widespread critical acclaim and resulted in extensive touring and festival appearances in nationally and internationally. A well respected music teacher, John has guided many young flautists to Munster and All Ireland titles.
MICHAEL MCGOLDRICK
Le blianta anuas, tá Michael McGoldrick mar dhuine dos na ceoltóirí is mó aitheanta I saol an cheoil traidisiúnta. Bunaitheoir na grúpaí Flook!, Lunasa & At First Light, is ball leanúnach é sna bannaí Capercaillie, Usher’s Island & Banna Mark Knopfler. Seinneann sé cuid mhaith I dteannta a chara mhór Desi Donnelly go fóill agus chomh maith le 5 albam aonarach a bheith eisithe aige, tá sé le clos ar na céadta ceann eile. Is cumadóir ar leith é McGoldrick leis agus táimid ag súil go mór le fáilte a chur roimhe I mBaile Mhúirne.
Over the past 25 years, Michael McGoldrick has been one of the most innovative figures in traditional and folk music both in Ireland and the UK. The Mancunian was a founder member of the ground-breaking bands Flook! Lúnasa and At First Light. His solo albums, of which he has five, have been popular with traditional music enthusiasts across the globe. He is a member of Capercaillie, Usher’s Island as well as the Mark Knopfler band and performs regularly with long-time collaborator Desi Donnelly. McGoldrick is an exceptional composer, collaborator and arranger and we are delighted to welcome him to his first Cruinniú na bhFliúit.
TOM DOORLEY
Is flúiteadóir traidisiúnta agus claisiceadh é Tom Doorley ó Bhaile Átha Cliath. Is ball é den ngrupa Danú agus is léachtóir é chomh maith.
Tom Doorley was born in Dublin and has been playing for many years in both Classical and Traditional music circles, in Ireland and abroad. In his younger years he received lessons from Vincent Broderick, Micheál Ó hAlmhain, Cormac Breathnach, the late Seamus MacMathuna and is heavily inspired by the music of Matt Molloy.
Tom was a member of the internationally acclaimed Irish traditional band Danú and performed professionally with them for fourteen years. Tom currently lectures and teaches on the Irish traditional music course in Technological University Dublin (TUD), and also holds the position of musical director of the National Folk Orchestra of Ireland (NFOI).
SARAH-JANE WOODS
Is fliúitadóir ó Bhaile Átha Cliath í Sarah-Jane Woods. D’fhoghlaim sí a cuid ceoil ó Michael Tubridy. Is múinteoir bunscoile í Sarah-Jane agus bíonn sí ag teagasc go seachtainiúil le Craobh Naithí, CCÉ agus go minic ag ceardlanna ceoil ar fud na tire . Tá Craobh na hÉireann buaite aici agus thaisteal sí le Comhaltas agus le grúpaí éagsúla, ina measc, Líadan. Sé seo an chéad uair do Sarah-Jane a bheith ag teagaisc linn ag an gCruinniú. Tá sí ag súil go mór le filleadh go Baile Bhúírne, áit inar chaith sí samhradh ag foghlaim na Gaeilge mar dhéagóir!
Dubliner, Sarah-Jane Woods has been involved with the Craobh Naithí branch of Comhaltas for many years and learned her flute playing from Michael Tubridy. Sarah-Jane holds a Senior All Ireland Flute title and she has performed and taught extensively in Ireland and abroad. A primary school teacher by profession, Sarah-Jane has a passion for passing on the tradition to young musicians.
JUNE MCCORMACK
Is fliúitadóir as Sligeach í June NicCormaic gur bronnadh an chéad ‘Ceoltóir Óg na Bliana’ le TG4 sa bhliain 1998, an bhliain céanna gur bhuaigh sé Craobh na hÉireann ar an fheadóg mhór. Is múinteoir bunscoile í June go bhfuil ana-thóir uirthi mar mhuinteoir fliúite leis. Tá taifeadaí eisithe aici I dteannta a fhear chéile Michael Rooney, Banna Céilí an Dartry & an grúpa Síonna agus leabhair teagaisc fliútadóireachta curtha amach aici freisin. Sé seo an chéad uair do June a bheith ag teagaisc linn ag an gCruinniú.
June McCormack comes from Ballintogher, Co. Sligo. In 1998, June was awarded The TG4 Gradam ‘Young Musician of the Year Award’ in the Town Hall Theatre in Galway, and that same year, she won the All Ireland Senior Flute Competition at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Ballina.
A primary school teacher by profession, June has published two flute tutorial books in recent years, Fliúit (2006) and Fliúit 2 (2009). She has recorded three CDs with Michael Rooney; ‘Tobar an Cheoil’ (2022), ‘Land’s End’ (2006) and Draíocht’ (2004). June is a member of Sligo’s Dartry Ceili Band.
June was taught by both Carmel Gunning & Paddy Ryan. Michael & June first met at a Foróige event in UCD in 1989, where the organisation was celebrating 21 years of the Citizenship Award. Coincidentally they were both paired together (out of 60 young traditional musicians) to perform a duet at the event.
A member of the music group, Síona, that recorded the 1998 album, ‘Launching the Boat’, with Kevin Brehony (piano), Damien O’Brien (fiddle), Oliver Loughlin (piano accordion).
IARLAITH MACGABHANN
Is as Baile an Teampaill, i mBaile Átha Cliath do Iarlaith ó dhúchás. Thosnaigh sé ar an bfheadóg mór agus é deich mbliana d’aois, ag freastal ar féilte agus ceardlannaí ar fud na tíre. Agus é cúig bliana deag d’aois, d’fhreastal sé ar rangannaí le Harry Bradley. Bhí an-thionchar ag na ceachtannaí sin ar Iarlaith mar ceoltoir. Tá dian-stáidear déanta ag Iarlaith ar sean-mhaistrí na feadoige móra, a leithidí Eddie Maloney, Jack Dolan, Tom Morrison, Peter Horan, Séamus Tansey agus Roger Sherlock ina measc. Bíonn Iarlaith ag múineadh go rialta ag féilte ar fud an domhain. Tá Iarlaith mar bhall don grúpa Nuadán. D’eisigh said CD úr dar teideal ‘Dén Díobháil’ sa bhlian 2020. Bíonn Iarlaith freisin ag casadh le ceoltoirí eile go minic, mar shampla, an boscadóir Conor Connolly. Tá céim BSc as Coláiste na hOllscoile Báile Átha Cliath bainte amach ag Iarlaith sa Ghéineolaíocht, comh maith le céim MSc as Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh sa Bhith-fhaisnéisíocht agus Ríomhbhitheolaíocht. Tá sé anois mar ball foirne leis an Taisce Cheol Dúchais Éireann, ag obair ar chúrsaí digitiú fuaime.
From Churchtown in Dublin, Iarlaith began learning the flute at age 10 and attended classes under various teachers at workshops and festivals around the country. At age 15 he began attending lessons with Belfast flute player Harry Bradley, who was a pivotal figure in his development as a musician. Iarlaith’s music is strongly influenced by the playing of flute players such as Eddie Maloney, Jack Dolan, Tom Morrison, Peter Horan, Seamus Tansey and Roger Sherlock to name but a few. Iarlaith is a regular performer and tutor at festivals both in Ireland and abroad. Iarlaith is also a member of the band Nuadán, who in 2020 released their album “Dén Díobháil” to great acclaim. Iarlaith has also toured extensively, most recently with Galway accordion player Conor Connolly. Iarlaith has previously completed a BSc in Genetics at University College Dublin and in 2021 graduated from University College Cork with a MSc in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology. Most recently, Iarlaith has joined the staff at The Irish Traditional Music Archive as the Audio Digitisation Assistant.