Moya Sweeney, Co-Ordinator, Acadamh Ceoil

Moya Sweeney is a button accordion player from Trillick, Co. Tyrone. As an accomplished Irish traditional musician and tutor, Moya has performed across Ireland and Europe. While competing in various competitions at county, provincial and All Ireland level, she has achieved an UIster title in 15-18 Button Accordion and All Ireland medals in Céilí Band competitions. Coming from a musical family, Moya has appeared on various television and radio programmes, such as BBC Two’s ‘I Lár an Aonaigh’ and RTE Radio 1’s ‘Céilí House’. As a member of Ulster University Choir, Moya performed in Michael Rooney’s ‘Famine Suite’ at IMBOLC in 2019, while also performing as a member of the IMBOLC Orchestra in 2020, along with Four Men & A Dog. In November 2019, Moya was selected to participate in the Traditional Music Writer Mentoring Scheme, in partnership with The Journal of Music. Here, she was given the opportunity to write review pieces and learn from established editors. Moya has recently graduated from Ulster University with a First-Class Honours in Music and continues to teach and aid young people through Irish traditional music.

Molly Walls (Fiddle)

Molly Walls from Moneyglass, County Antrim began playing the fiddle at the age of 10 under the guidance of Bríd Harper one of Donegal’s most renowned fiddle players. She has competed successfully in groups and with her sisters at various Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.  In 2018 Molly won one of the most prestigious traditional Irish music and singing competitions Siansa organised by Gael Linn, with the group Spleodar featuring 8 musicians from the counties Antrim, Tyrone and Monaghan. Molly has performed all over Ireland in various venues and festivals including The National Concert Hall in Dublin and The Waterfront Hall in Belfast.

Molly has also featured on many TV and Radio programs alongside her sisters Jane and Cara including RTÉ, BBC Trad Ar Fad, TG4 Gradam Ceoil and Siar Chuig an bhFleadh only to name a Few. Molly is currently part of the National Folk Orchestra of Ireland and the IMBOLC Orchestra under the direction of Michael Rooney preforming with artists including Four Men and a Dog and Daoíri Farrell. She performs on weekly basis for CIE Tours, American tourists at the Crosskeys Inn.

Molly currently attends St Mary’s University College, Belfast going into her third year studying BEd Primary with Music. She has been teaching music for four years both privately and for different organisations to a range of ages.

Orla Corrigan (Fiddle)

Orla Corrigan is a fiddle player from Co. Monaghan. Growing up, the Irish culture was the hub of her daily existence and this was the start of her fulfilling musical journey to becoming an accomplished traditional musician. Orla has achieved many accolades throughout her life. She received Grade 8 Distinctions on both, the fiddle, and the tin whistle with the London School of Music at age 13. She secured her first Ulster Fleadh title at the age of 10 and from then on, her success led to favourable outcomes and opportunities. Orla’s most prestigious awards to date include 2nd Place in the U15 Fiddle competition at the Ulster Fleadh, 3rd Place in the Ed Reavy International Fiddle Competition and 2021 & 2022 Fiddler of London Finalist. She has also been selected to partake in the Ulster Comhaltas Orchestra. Orla is currently in her first year of studying Irish with Music in Ulster University, Magee.

Dearbhla Scallon (Tin Whistle, Flute)

Dearbhla is a singer and musician from County Tyrone. Dearbhla learned to play the whistle and flute from a young age and has competed at All Ireland level. She has won All Ireland titles in Fleadh, Scór and Siansa competitions. Currently, Dearbhla is studying a degree in Irish with Music at the University of Ulster in Derry. She has taught private lessons and workshops for a number of years. Music has provided her with opportunities to appear on televisions and radio, to take part in events and festivals all over Ireland and further afield.

Shannon Duggan (Banjo)

Shannon Duggan is a banjo and mandolin player from the village of Newtowncunningham County Donegal. She started her musical journey on the mandolin at the age of ten then progressed onto the banjo at the age of fourteen. Since then, she has competed in many Fleadhanna and competitions at county, provincial and all Ireland level. She won the senior Ulster mandolin in 2022. She has also completed her grade 8 in banjo.

Shannon has made many radio and TV appearances  including RTÉ's Ceili House with Kieran Hanrahan, RTÉ Radio Na Gaeltachta with Neansaí Ní Choisdealbha, TG4's Réalta agus Gaolta. She has also taken part in many projects with well known musicians/composers such as Aidan O'Rourke and the IMBOLC youth orchestra led by Ryan Molloy in 2020. In the past few years, Shannon has been an active committee member of her local branch Comhaltas Leitir Ceanainn where she has recently taken on the role of Public Relations Officer. She had the opportunity to travel to Denmark to perform in a series of concerts with her branch. Shannon completed her bachelor's degree in music with a first class honours in 2022. She was awarded the Heather Clarke scholarship at Ulster University for achieving the highest mark in her final year performance. She is now studying a Masters in music at Ulster University, focusing on music practice/performance. She is teaching in Donegal and Derry City while actively performing across the province of Ulster and the wider region.

Eleanor Gaffney (Concertina)

Eleanor Gaffney is a concertina, violin and viola player from Dublin and moved to Derry in August 2021 to study in Magee’s new School of Medicine. She is a member of the Comhaltas National Folk Orchestra and Ceoltóirí Rinn na Mara who are the 2022 Leinster Senior Grúpa Ceoil Champions. Eleanor has performed across Ireland, Europe, the US, Abu Dhabi and China with ceilí bands, groups and orchestras and regularly performs on the Late Late Show. As an Ad Astra music scholar in University College Dublin, she performed and arranged new compositions with harpist and composer Michael Rooney. Eleanor has been teaching classical music, concertina and fiddle in Dublin for many years and is looking forward to teaching in Derry.

Diarmuid O’Kane (Piano)

Diarmuid O’Kane is a performing musician, composer/arranger and educator from Derry. Since graduating from the University of Ulster with a First Class Honours Degree in Music in 2016, Diarmuid has been involved in all things musical from performing in shows for local theatre companies including LMS, the Grove Theatre Group and the Millennium Forum Youth Theatre Company to arranging music for an Elvis Tribute Concert with Jim “The King” Brown. He has worked on shows such as Guys and Dolls, Hairspray, Legally Blonde and Calamity Jane to name a few. Diarmuid is currently a member of the highly successful band, The Mindbenders in which he plays both keyboards and saxophone. The Mindbenders regularly play gigs in Derry and Donegal and also make regular appearances at the City of Derry Jazz Festival, the Cork Jazz Festival and the Letterkenny Jazz and Roots Festival. The Mindbenders also regularly perform in towns and cities up and down the island of Ireland such as Belfast, Galway, Dublin and Sligo to name a few. These gigs range from bars, weddings, festivals and theatre gigs. Diarmuid is also a member of the Pop-Folk band LORE. LORE recently were invited out to Folk Alliance International which took place in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. This is the world's largest conference and gathering of Folk Music each year. With help from Culture Ireland, LORE were able to travel to, attend and perform at the prestigious conference.

John Goodman (Drums)

John Goodman is a drummer and percussionist from Derry, who has played in various punk bands, funk outfits and orchestral ensembles. In the last few years, John has enjoyed playing in a range of theatrical performances, with the most recent productions including Hairspray, Legally Blonde and Edges. He has just returned from touring Germany with James Bond Live, and is excited to return to teaching drums and percussion to young musicians in the making.

Tom Byrne (Harmonica, Button Accordion)

Saoirse Duggan (Button Accordion)

Saoirse hails from Newtowncunningham in Co.Donegal. She is no stranger to the Acadamh having previously attended lessons here and is now currently teaching Irish next door in Cultúrlann. She has completed all her grade exams with The London College of Music. She has made many TV and radio appearances including Highland Radio, RTÉ's Ceili House with Kieran Hanrahan and RTÉ RNAG with Neansaí Ní Choisdealbha. Saoirse also had the opportunity to play in a series of concerts in Denmark. Saoirse is an active member of her branch, CCÉ Leitir Ceanainn, where she has the role of Oifigeach na Gaeilge. She is actively performing and teaching music in the Donegal/Derry area. In 2021, Saoirse graduated with a BA degree in Irish with Music from Ulster University and in 2022 she graduated with a PGCE in Primary Education from St Mary's University in Belfast. Saoirse now teaches in the local Gaelscoil.

Emer Mallon (Harp)

Emer Mallon from Keady, County Armagh is an acclaimed harpist and multi-instrumentalist. As a session musician and performer she has thrilled audiences at festivals across Ireland, Europe and the USA including the Tønder Festival in Denmark, Piping Live in Glasgow, the William Kennedy Festival in Armagh, and the Milwaukee Irish Fest in the USA.

Emer is a prolific performer and composer appearing on numerous TV & Radio shows for the BBC, TG4, and RTÉ. She is a member of award winning band Connla, who have two critically acclaimed albums and have toured Europe and America extensively.

As a harp tutor she is inspiring the next generation of traditional Irish musicians in music schools across Ireland. In addition to all of this Emer is a qualified music teacher and holds an Honours degree in Music, and a PGCE from the University of Ulster.

Moya Sweeney (Bodhran)

Moya Sweeney is a button accordion player from Trillick, Co. Tyrone. As an accomplished Irish traditional musician and tutor, Moya has performed across Ireland and Europe. While competing in various competitions at county, provincial and All Ireland level, she has achieved an UIster title in 15-18 Button Accordion and All Ireland medals in Céilí Band competitions. Coming from a musical family, Moya has appeared on various television and radio programmes, such as BBC Two’s ‘I Lár an Aonaigh’ and RTE Radio 1’s ‘Céilí House’. As a member of Ulster University Choir, Moya performed in Michael Rooney’s ‘Famine Suite’ at IMBOLC in 2019, while also performing as a member of the IMBOLC Orchestra in 2020, along with Four Men & A Dog. In November 2019, Moya was selected to participate in the Traditional Music Writer Mentoring Scheme, in partnership with The Journal of Music. Here, she was given the opportunity to write review pieces and learn from established editors. Moya has recently graduated from Ulster University with a First-Class Honours in Music and continues to teach and aid young people through Irish traditional music.

Jack Warnock (Guitar, Piano, Traditional Singing)

Jack Warnock is a multi-instrumentalist (piano, guitar banjo) and vocalist from Maghera, Co. Derry. As Guitar/Piano/Vocalist in the traditional groups Cóiriú and Meargánta he performed in the final of Siansa Gael Linn at the National Concert Hall, Dublin on multiple occasions, and at the Royal Albert Hall, London. He won the An Ré Nua (solo singing) competition in the lead-up to Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, 2013 in Derry and was placed 2nd in the 15-18 Accompaniment competition at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, 2014. He has shared the stage with many fantastic musicians, playing support for We Banjo 3, Ulaid, Brendan Mulholland and more. Jack has also provided accompaniment for musicians such as Liz Doherty, Darren Breslin and Troy MacGillivray over the past year. He is currently studying Irish with Music at the Magee Campus of Ulster University and is part of The Doc Flock who will be appearing at the Celtic Colours International Festival in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia in October 2016.

Odhrán Sweeney (Guitar)

Odhrán Sweeney is a guitarist from Trillick, Co. Tyrone. Growing up in a musical household, he has been exposed to music of various genres from a young age. Odhrán performs on a regular basis in venues across Co. Fermanagh and Co. Tyrone, both as an accompanist and soloist. He is a member of Fermanagh Musical Theatre and Enniskillen Light Operatic, where he performs in their yearly productions, as well as being a member of St Macartan’s Choir, Trillick, and the Ulster University Choir and Chamber Choir. Odhrán is currently in his final year of study in Ulster University, where he is studying Music.

Jane Walls (Uilleann Pipes)

Jane Walls from Moneyglass, County Antrim began playing the uilleann pipes at the age of 8 under the guidance of Gay McKeon at Na Píobairí Uilleann. She is a six time All Ireland solo champion at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann where she has also competed successfully in groups and with her sisters. She was part of Spleodar, a group of young musicians who won the Siansa Gael Linn group competition in 2018. Jane has performed for Uachtarán na hÉireann in Áras an Uachtaráin and in Stormont as well as on tv, on stage in Vicar Street and in festivals throughout Ireland.

Paddy Kenny (Tin Whistle)

Paddy Kenny, from Derry City began playing the whistle at the age of six, developing through the local Comhaltas branch based in the city. He is also classically trained and has achieved Grade 8 in Clarinet. He has been teaching Tin Whistle in Derry for the past 5 years, bringing through young talent and helping them achieve success in competitions and grades. He has performed in France and also at the European Parliament in Brussels as part of the efforts to bring Fleadh 2013 to Derry.