Tuesday October 27
The Living Heritage of West Limerick Music
Pa Foley & Friends
In Conversation with Gabriel Fitzmaurice
All-Ireland Senior Button Accordion Champion Pa Foley shares tunes and talks with Gabriel Fitzmaurice alongside a stellar lineup of guest musicians to celebrate the distinct, driving rhythm and rich repertoire of the West Limerick musical tradition.
About Pa Foley
Hailing from Glin, County Limerick, Pa Foley is widely recognized as one of the premier button accordion stylists of his generation. His musical mastery was cemented on the national stage when he captured the prestigious 2006 All-Ireland Senior Button Accordion Championship.
Renowned for his fluid ornamentation, crisp triplets, and impeccable timing, Pa's playing draws heavily from the classic masters. He was notably selected as one of just 28 elite All-Ireland Senior Champions to perform in the historic open-air tribute concert honoring the legendary Joe Burke. Highly regarded as both a top-tier performer and a dedicated local educator, his repertoire features masterful settings of traditional airs like “The Brig of Edinburgh” alongside blistering regional renditions of classic reels like “The Salamanca” and Ed Reavy's “The Shoemaker's Daughter”.
Carrying the Lineage Forward
Pa’s deep roots in Glin connect his music directly to the regional heritage, lift, and phrasing made famous globally by the legendary Martin and Brendan Mulvihill. This afternoon, Pa and friends will explore the deep well of the West Limerick style, featuring the specific tunes and localized settings that celebrate the Mulvihill legacy.
In Conversation: Music & Lore
The concert features a special live interview. Renowned poet, author, and broadcaster Gabriel Fitzmaurice—who famously collaborated and recorded with Martin Mulvihill—will sit down with Pa. Together, they will discuss what connects Pa so deeply to this region, what inspires his playing, and the living history embedded within the tunes.
Wednesday October 28
A West Limerick Homecoming: The Pure Drop in Glin
Derek Hickey
Prepare for an afternoon of blistering tunes and deep musical heritage with a spectacular showcase of native style back to its roots.
This special concert celebrates the unmistakable lift of the West Limerick tradition, anchored by one of the region's greatest contemporary legends returning to his home soil. Joined by two powerhouse masters of the craft, this performance promises an unforgettable masterclass in rhythm, driving energy, and regional flair.
Meet the Masters
Derek Hickey (Button Accordion) – The Voice of West Limerick
Hailing from nearby Adare, Co. Limerick, Derek Hickey's music is deeply intertwined with the soul and driving pulse of West Limerick. Mentored by the legendary local master Dónal de Barra, Derek is the reigning TG4 Gradam Ceoil Musician of the Year and is widely revered as one of the most prominent, influential box players in the history of Irish music. From his early days with the Shannonside Céilí Band to his iconic, lightning-fast duets with Frankie Gavin in De Dannan, Derek's playing defines the "pure drop." Now passing his regional heritage to the next generation at the University of Limerick's Irish World Academy, this concert is a true local homecoming for a West Limerick titan.
Liam Flanagan (Fiddle & Banjo)
A native of North County Cork, Liam Flanagan is one of the most respected, dynamic fiddle and banjo players in traditional music today. As a driving, rhythmic force behind the internationally acclaimed band North Cregg, Liam has toured globally and recorded extensively. Known for his flawless technique and an infectious ability to put a "lift" into any set of dance tunes, his North Cork style serves as the perfect, fiery counterpart to Derek’s West Limerick drive.
Caoimhín Ó Fearghail (Uilleann Pipes, Flute & Guitar)
Representing the rich, fluid heritage of the Waterford Gaeltacht, Caoimhín is a rare multi-instrumental genius from An Rinn. Named TG4 Young Musician of the Year and crowned Best Folk Instrumentalist at the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards, he is a master of the uilleann pipes who is also entirely self-taught on the flute and guitar. Having traveled the world with top-tier outfits like Danú, Caoimhín brings a deeply soulful, poetic foundation that rounds out this powerhouse trio.
When the local drive of Derek's West Limerick box meets the fiery lifting fiddle of Cork and the soulful pipes of the Waterford Gaeltacht, magic happens.
Thursday October 29
Sharing the Stage & Learning from Brendan Mulvihill
An Afternoon of Conversation, Music, and Dance with Billy McComiskey, Donna Long, Emily Martin, Shannon Dunne, and Cleek Schrey – Guided by Billy Keane
This monumental event is a meeting of musical equals, bringing together a powerhouse lineup of masters who shaped the very landscape of transatlantic Irish traditional music. This special performance is designed as a dynamic blend of live conversation, peerless playing, and visual rhythm. Listowel author and columnist Billy Keane will join the artists guiding an informal, insightful conversation to prompt these legendary musicians to talk about what it truly means to share a stage, trade tunes, and build a lifelong legacy alongside the great fiddle icon Brendan Mulvihill.
Interwoven with these rich recollections, the artists will bring Brendan's vast, intricate repertoire and percussive dance legacy to life. The concert features two absolute titans of the genre who stood as Brendan's true artistic peers: All-Ireland Senior Button Accordion Champion and NEA National Heritage Fellow Billy McComiskey, who co-founded The Irish Tradition with Brendan in the 1970s, and premier pianist Donna Long, who spent more than a decade touring and recording as his definitive musical counterpart. Joining them are the standard-bearers who learned directly at his side—his dedicated apprentice Emily Martin, his brilliant student Cleek Schrey, and his frequent dance collaborator Shannon Dunne—offering a rare, behind-the-scenes look into an extraordinary creative circle.
Billy McComiskey (Button Accordion): An internationally revered master of the East Coast box style and multi-All-Ireland medal winner. As Brendan's lifelong musical brother and equal, his genius anchors this premier tribute performance.
Billy Keane (Interviewer & Guide): Celebrated Irish Independent columnist and host of John B. Keane's pub in Listowel. A master of regional lore, his wit and curiosity will draw out the rich, untold stories of the Mulvihill musical dynasty.
Donna Long (Piano): An elite traditional pianist who spent decades touring and recording alongside Brendan as part of their world-renowned fiddle-piano duo, providing the defining, peerless harmonic lift to his music.
Emily Martin: A highly expressive roots musician who served directly as Brendan's formal apprentice, sharing the stage with him on numerous occasions and absorbing his deep transatlantic styling.
Shannon Dunne: An acclaimed traditional dancer who performed frequently alongside Brendan, translating his intricate bowing and rhythms into visual percussive footwork. Shannon brings a profound connection to this legacy, having learned her steps directly from the legendary Devane Family of Connemara, who carry forward the pure tradition.
Cleek Schrey: An internationally acclaimed hardanger fiddle player, composer, and sound artist who studied directly under Brendan, mastering his complex ornamentation and regional string idioms.
Friday October 30
The Dance Masters: Steps on the Shannon Banks
Rhythm, Style, and Percussive Heritage
The Devane Family, Jonathon Kelliher, Shannon Dunne and John Joe Tierney
Heading into the final stretch of the festival, Friday afternoon brings an explosive celebration of traditional percussive dance, charting the vital lineage of the art form. This performance traces its heart back to the historic influence of Jerry Mulvihill, who famously won his national titles dancing the distinct, lightness-focused Molyneaux (Munnix) style under the tutelage of Jeremiah Molyneaux himself. Bringing together icons of Sean-Nós, Munnix, and traditional step dancing, this concert showcases how rhythm and movement serve as a visual heartbeat to the music.
The Devane Family of Connemara: Globally renowned exponents of the sean-nós dance tradition, bringing the raw, fluid, and improvisational rhythmic footwork of the Galway Gaeltacht to West Limerick. They represent a vital link in this week's legacy, as the direct masters who taught Shannon Dunne, who in turn danced alongside Brendan Mulvihill.
Jonathan Kelliher: A master of the traditional North Kerry "Munnix" style and Artistic Director of Siamsa Tíre, celebrated for preserving the unique, low-to-the-ground steps native to the region.
Shannon Dunne: An acclaimed dancer, musician, and educator who bridges the transatlantic gap, widely raised for her rhythmic precision, dedication to community heritage, and her deep performance history alongside Brendan Mulvihill.
John Joe Tierney: A phenomenal traditional dancer celebrated for his crisp technique, flawless timing, and exceptional stage presence.
Saturday, October 31 at 6:00 PM – 9:00 pm
The Grand Transatlantic Finale: Masters of String & Box
An Exceptional Concert Sequence and All-Star Gathering
The performance track reaches its magnificent crest with an extended, meticulously staged evening program. Bringing together the ultimate cross-border exponents of traditional music, the concert flows through historic pairings and premier solo sets, culminating in an extraordinary, unified all-star ensemble finale to close out the week.
Laoise Kelly (Harp): Opening the evening is the reigning pioneer of the modern traditional instrument Laoise Kelly. Regarded as the most significant harper of her generation and a TG4 Gradam Ceoil Musician of the Year, her driving, brilliant style sets a majestic foundation for the concert.
Jesse Smith & Donna Long (Fiddle & Piano): A thrilling meeting of minds. Born in Baltimore, former Danú member Jesse Smith studied fiddle directly under Brendan Mulvihill. He couples his elite, classic phrasing—inherited directly from the master—with the incomparable chord structures of premier traditional pianist Donna Long.
Billy McComiskey, Donna Long & Cleek Schrey (Accordion, Piano & Fiddle): The definitive core of the American East Coast traditional lineage reunites. All-Ireland Accordion Champion Billy McComiskey links up with his peerless peers to share the best Irish music from across the Atlantic.
Willie Kelly & Siobhán Kelly (Fiddle & Flute): Devotees of the legendary, old-time style of East Clare and East Galway, this husband-and-wife duo brings a soulful, fluid traditional connection to the program. Notably, Willie and his brother Joe were also original students of Martin Mulvihill.
The Grand Finale: To close out the week's headline concerts, the stage will expand as all featured masters and special festival guests combine for a massive, roof-raising session of classic traditional tunes.