Michael Rooney - harp, concertina
Michael Rooney is a prolific composer and is widely regarded as one of the foremost players of the traditional Irish harp. Originally from Scotstown, Co. Monaghan and now a long-time resident of County Sligo, Michael has composed 19 suites of music in the past 20 years, including recently Decades of the Centenaries (2023), The Ulster Suite (2022), Clairseoireacht (2022), Constance (2020), The Famine Suite (2019), and The Macalla Suite (2016). Michael was awarded the TG4 Composer of the Year in 2017.
In July 2022, Michael completed The Ulster Suite for Ulster Comhaltas, the suite called Constance, commissioned by The Hawks Well Sligo & UCD, and also The Famine Suite for Imbolc. In May 2015, Michael was commissioned to write music and perform on the occasion of Prince Charles’ visit to Sligo. His music features on The Queen's Speech, RTÉ's documentary of Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Ireland. An album of The Macalla Suite was released in December 2016, performed by The Macalla Orchestra and recorded Live in Monaghan.
He has recorded three CDs with his wife, flute player June McCormack, as Draíocht: Tobar an Cheoil, Draíocht, and Land's End. He is also a member of Sligo’s Dartry Ceili Band, where he plays concertina. Michael has published four books of his own compositions; Harp Tunes (2006), Aifreann Gaeilge (2012), The de Cuéllar Suite (2012), and The Macalla Suite (2016).
June McCormack - flute
June McCormack is a flute player 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.
As Draíocht, June and her husband Michael Rooneyhave toured extensively, performing throughout the United States, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. They have recorded three duo CDs to critical acclaim: Draíocht (2004), Land’s End (2006), and Tobar an Cheoil (2022).
June is a sought-after flute teacher and has authored flute tutorial books, Fluúit and Fluúit 2 with accompanying CDs. June was taught by both Carmel Gunning and Paddy Ryan. She plays an Olwell ‘D’ flute, made by Patrick Olwell, from Virginia, USA, and also plays an Australian Mike Grinter ‘C’ flute.
Louise Mulcahy - uilleann pipes, flute
Born in Abbeyfeale, Co. Limerick, Louise is a well-established performer and tutor on both flute and uilleann pipes. Louise has travelled extensively in both capacities, as both performer and teacher of the tradition, appearing at some of the biggest national and international music festivals throughout Asia, New Zealand, Australia, Europe, America and Canada. Louise released her highly acclaimed début solo album titled ‘Tuning the Road’ in 2014 to widespread critical acclaim: “A complete wonder of an album from a truly brilliant musician” – Bill Margeson. Alongside three album releases with father, Mick, and sister Michelle, Louise also appeared a number of years ago on Na Píobairí Uilleann’s compilation of young uilleann pipers entitled ‘A New Dawn’. Louise was voted Female Musician of the Year at the Live Ireland Awards in 2017 jointly with her sister Michelle.
Louise Mulcahy began playing the tin whistle at age five and a few years later moved on to flute, Matt Molloy and Eamonn Cotter becoming formative influences on her style. At thirteen she took up uilleann pipes, taught by Dave Hegarty in Tralee and in monthly master-classes at NPU in Dublin. One of the few female performers on what is a male-dominated instrument, she featured on the NPU compilation A New Dawn in 1999, and has taught at both the Chris Langan Piping Tionól in Toronto and the East Coast Piping Tionól in the Catskills, USA. A primary-level teacher in Co. Meath, she is the only person in the fleadh’s history to have won four senior All-Ireland titles in the one day.
Macdara Ó Faoláin - fiddle, bouzouki, song
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.
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Macdara Ó Faoláin is a bouzouki player, fiddle player, singer and composer from County Waterford, renowned for his innovative approach to traditional Irish music. 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.
Macdara performs regularly with collaborators such as Cormac McCarthy and Victoria Adiiye, 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, whose album Beo, was hailed as "one of the best albums of the past few years” by the Irish Echo.
Macdara released a solo EP, titled 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 both a solo musician and collaborator. The EP was recently nominated for album of the year by Nós. Macdara was also nominated for Best Folk Instrumentalist at the RTÉ Folk Awards.
Diarmuid Ó Meachair - accordion, song
Diarmuid Ó Meachair is a traditional Irish accordion and melodeon player from Cúil Aodha, Co. Cork, and is also a sean-nós singer. In 2022, he was awarded the prestigious TG4 Ceoltóir Óg na Bliana (Young Musician of the Year).
Diarmuid currently teaches Irish traditional music at University College Cork and also teaches at Holy Cross University in Worcester, Massachusetts. He has performed with De Dannan internationally since 2022.
Over the past three years, Diarmuid has released four solo albums and he has been nominated for three RTÉ Folk Awards: Best Instrumentalist (2023 & 2024) and Best Emerging Artist (2023).
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Shane Mulchrone - tenor banjo
Shane Mulchrone is a banjo player from Ballina, Co. Mayo, now based in Toronto, Canada. Shane has been playing tenor banjo and mandolin for over 25 years and his music is primarily influenced by the local musicians of Mayo and Sligo, with early influences from John Carty and Tommy Finn. He started learning music at an early age, initially on tin whistle before moving to stringed instruments, namely the banjo, mandolin and fiddle.
He has taught and performed for many years at numerous summer schools, workshops and festivals across Europe and North America. In 2018, Shane released his debut album Solid Ground on Raelach Records. Dan Neely of the Irish Echo says Solid Ground is “one of the best banjo records in recent memory…a must-have…’Solid Ground’ is an excellent album that I think every banjo player should own. Mulchrone’s playing is tasteful and inventive, and his sound is brilliant....Definitely recommended! Charlie Elland of FolkWords says ‘Solid Ground’ is an album that will not only change the minds of many about banjo music but will ensure Mulchrone’s name remains among the ranks of ‘masters of their art’.
Laura Feddersen - fiddle
Laura grew up in a musical family in Bloomington, Indiana, where she spent many a night asleep in a bass case at dances and music parties. At the age of 5 she was compelled to take up the violin herself, eventually performing for the set and square dances in her hometown. She has since traveled far and wide with her unique take on Irish American traditional fiddling, performing and teaching at events such as the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, the Swannanoa Gathering, the O’Flaherty Retreat, and the Lotus World Music Festival.
She now resides in Boston, where she has records and performs with; Two Wooden Nickels (with Joel Wennerstrom and Owen Marshall), who released their debut album Wooden Nickels in 2017; Irish fiddler Nathan Gourley who have released several projects, including Life Is All Checkered (2014), Ship in the Clouds (2020), and most recently, Brightly or Darkly (2022).