Twilight Concerts
5 pm to 6:30 pm Tuesday to Friday
Ticketed Concerts and Doors Close During Performance; Seating only during breaks in the music.
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
The Legacy of Martin Mulvihill: A Journey with Gabriel Fitzmaurice, Donal O’Sullivan, Willie Kelly, and Donna Long with guest artist Caoimhín Ó Fearghail
Celebrating the indelible mark left by National Heritage Fellow and master fiddler Martin Mulvihill. Rooted deeply in the regional styles of West Limerick and carried across the Atlantic to the vibrant Irish-American music scenes of New York and beyond, this performance brings together an exceptional ensemble of lifelong collaborators, acclaimed students, and torchbearers of the tradition.
About the Artists
• Gabriel Fitzmaurice (Commentary): A renowned poet, writer, and musician from County Limerick, Gabriel accompanied Martin Mulvihill on his seminal recordings, including The Humors of Glin, recently re-released by Smithsonian Folkways. He brings a deep, intimate knowledge of Martin's life, humor, and poetic contributions to the West Limerick tradition.
• Donal O’Sullivan (Flute): A master flute player who performed alongside Mulvihill, including on the Humors of Glin album. His fluid, rhythmic playing perfectly captures the regional pulse and native melodies of the Shannon banks.
• Willie Kelly (Fiddle): One of Martin Mulvihill’s most celebrated former students from his time teaching in the United States. Kelly has blossomed into a premier fiddle player, embodying the pristine notation, ornamentation, and archival depth passed down by his mentor.
• Donna Long (Piano and Fiddle): Regarded as one of the finest pianists in Irish traditional music, Donna Long has a long history with the Mulvihill family, notably performing and touring extensively with Martin’s son, the master fiddler Brendan Mulvihill. She learned Irish fiddle from Brendan and was also a student of Martin Mulvihill. On the piano, her driving, sophisticated accompaniment provides the perfect harmonic backbone for this legacy showcase.
And featuring
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. He has played often with Willie Kelly and thus comes to Glin as a featured guest.
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
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.
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.