I was on my first solo trip to Ireland to compete in the 1977 Fleadh Cheoil in Ennis - after a successful Fleadh, I had a notion to head over to London for a long weekend before going…

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Years back in the corner confessional of the 6511 Club I was with Kevin Henry, his wife Pauline, the late Brendan & Theresa Williams — and behind the counter bartending, bantering, and holding court, was the late Jack Finan…

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Sorry to learn of the passing of Brian Dennehy. He was a brilliant actor and very lovely man who was as comfortable with a beer in hand as he was with a script. 

Back in 1984 (not the…

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Side B, Cut 7 

I met John Prine in Dublin many years ago at a hotel where I was staying — it was at the in-house late night ‘disco’ where one went for a drink a few minutes after the…

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Just learned the sad news that Edward J. Ward passed away earlier this morning. 

Two weeks ago Ed and Catherine Ward opened their home and hearts to Mick Moloney, Liz Carroll, and myself to be with Ed as…

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Tradfest shows what music can be 
Irish Echo 
February 6, 2019 
By Colleen Taylor

"What also makes Temple Bar TradFest remarkable in its use of Dublin’s most historical and austere spaces, from City Hall to St. Patrick’s…

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Tradfest: Liz Carroll & Jimmy Keane 

Irish Music Magazine 

Live Review by Mark Lysaght 

City Hall, Dublin, January 25, 2019 

Dublin’s TradFest has evolved over the years to become a major 

event in the…

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Came across this treasure from the past earlier this week. It is the program booklet for the 1974 Fleadh Cheoil in Ireland listing all the competitors who qualified to compete. I've highlighted all the competitors from the USA who…

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I guess I should clean out my accordion case more often... ;-)

Trad Music Survey May 27-29, 2017 

Surveyor/Pollster: Jimmy Keane 

100 Participants 

This was a non-scientific survey posted on social media and by direct outreach to some of my musician friends. 

Aside from cleaning up some text…

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Athena Tergis, Robbie O'Connell, Mick Moloney, Jimmy Keane -- National Concert Hall, Dublin, Monday March 28, 2016

 

Jimmy Keane , Mick Moloney, and Robbie O'Connell (National Concert Hall, Dublin, March 28 2016)

 

Hi Folks -- the best of the New Year to you! 

Just wanted to give you a sneak peek of a few upcoming shows:

Longtime friend and fellow accordionist John Williams and I are reprising: 

A Mighty…

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"Would you be using your spade today? To tell you the truth I'm not. 
For I lent it to you fifty-five years ago and since then I never saw it." ;-))

Myself and my Granddad Paddy Lyne taken in New…

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"They won't break me because the desire for freedom, and the freedom of the Irish people, is in my heart. The day will dawn when all the people of Ireland will have the desire for freedom to show. It is…

Repeat after me:
 Saint Patrick. Paddy. Patty. Patties. ;-))

Here is Peter Staunton's brilliant remix of several of the "Trad Tune Challenge" video's in support of St. Patricks Mental Health Services in Dublin. My own contribution can be see here. You can still make a contribution by visiting…

I gladly accept the "Walk in My Shoes" Trad Tune challenge from Tommy McCarthy in support of the St. Patricks Mental Health Foundation in Ireland and would like to further nominate Pat Broaders and Dennis Cahill to play a bit…Read more

A hearty 100th anniversary to "Danny Boy" with lyrics by Frederic Weatherly set to the traditional tune "The Derry Air" which was originally collected by Jane Ross and submitted to music collector George Petrie and published in his 1855 "The…

How to sort the real Paddies from the pretenders. . .
Irish Independent / June 23 2010
Darragh McManus 

So the Government plans to introduce a certificate of Irish heritage for the Diaspora, eh? Well, that's just…Read more

The late Sean McGlynn (button accordion) and me at the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil in Listowel 1977. The picture is courtesy of Jamie Gans, a fine fiddler currently living in Indiana who took the picture while at the Fleadh…

For those of you who have not been in a long time (or ever) you will hardly recognize the place. Motorways chris crossing the country and encircling towns, round-a-bouts within round-a-bouts WITH traffic lights (asphalt crop circles), travel times…Read more