Na Píobairí Uilleann

Chairman, NPU

An Píobaire

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7 1 12 20110224 12 TG4 YOUNG MUSICIAN 2011 PÁDRAIC KEANE: YOUNG TRADITIONAL MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR U ILLEANN PIPER Pádraic Keane hails from Maree, Co. Galway and was born into a great musical family in 1991. He at- tended Maree N.S. and Calasanctius College, Oranmore and is currently a second year student in NUIG pursuing a BA degree with Irish Studies. His father Tommy is a well known piper, originally from Waterford, who was taught by the legendary piper Tommy Kearney. His mother Jacqueline McCarthy is a very respected concertina player and is the daughter of the late Tommy McCarthy from West Clare who was a multi-instrumentalist playing pipes, whistle and concertina. Jacqueline’s sister Marion also plays pipes. It is little wonder therefore, consider- ing the love and prevalence of piping on both sides of the family, that young Pádraic began learning the pipes at the age of eight under the guidance of his father. He also received tuition from many leading pipers at various summer schools in- cluding Robbie Hannan, Mick O’Brien, Emmett Gill, Jimmy O’Brien-Moran, Seán McKeon, Brian McNamara and Ronan Browne. His first pipes were a practice set borrowed from Na Píobairí Uilleann under their Pipes-on-Loan scheme. Since then Pádraic has inherited his grandfather’s pipes – a concert pitch set made by Leo Rowsome. When playing solo he likes to perform on a flat set in C made by Geoff Wooff. He has performed at many events organised by Na Píobairí Uilleann, including recitals at Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy, NPU Annual Tionól, SESSION WITH THE PIPERS in The Cobblestone and Ceol sa Chlub, the latter in the company of his fiddle playing sisters – Siobhán and his twin Maisie-Kate. His music has been broadcast on Clare FM, Galway Bay FM, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta and RTÉ Radio 1. He is a member of the traditional group EAMHAIN MHACHA – a group of musicians who became friends at Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy and Scoil Acla. They competed in the Gael Linn Siansa competition, have appeared on RTÉ Televi- sion, played support to The Chieftains and performed at the Cooley Collins Festival in Gort. His piping comes from the style of Willie Clancy but other influences such as Seán McKiernan and Séamus Ennis are also discernable in the playing of a young man who is acutely aware of the tradi- tion from which he stems and who displays a musical maturity and understanding way beyond his years. He in turn is now passing on his love for piping and has a number of fledgling pipers coming to him for tuition. The other TG4 awards were made to concertina player Noel Hill (Gradam Ceoil), fiddle-player Ben Lennon (Gradam Saoil), fiddle-player Liz Carroll (Cumadóir), singer Muireann Nic Amh- laoibh (Amhránaí) and Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin, Professor of Music at the University of Limerick (Gradam na gCeoltóirí). This year's awards will be presented at the Con- cert in the prestigious Wexford Opera House on Saturday 2nd April. Recipients will be joined by a host of special guests in a concert hosted by Aoife Ní Thuairisg that will be broadcast on TG4 on Easter Sunday 24th April. Courtesy of TG4

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