TRADITIONAL MUSIC AND DANCE/
PERFORMING ARTS
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Mary Fox and the All Set Ensemble
Sheila Boylan,
    Belfast, County Down
Ian Carmichael,
    Portadown, County Armagh
Caroline Fegan,
    Newry, County Down
Mary Fox,
    Portadown, County Armagh
Padraig Mac Cionnaith,
    Colomiers, France

Mary Fox is a leading exponent
of Northern Irish set, or ceili,
dancing; solo step; sean-nós-style
dancing to northern tunes (such as
"Maggie Pickens"); and two-hand
dances, such as the fling. After
founding the Belfast Set Dancing &
Traditional Music Society and the
inter-community All Set Schools
Project, she established All Set
to promote northern-style music,
song, and dance. In 1994, she was
recognized for her contributions
by a BBC and Belfast Telegraph
Entertainment Media Arts Award.

Armagh Pipers Club/Vallely Family
Eithne Vallely,
    Armagh, County Armagh
Caoimhin Vallely,
    Armagh, County Armagh
Cillian Vallely, Armagh, County
    Armagh/Queens, New York

When Eithne and her husband
Brian founded the Armagh Pipers
Club in 1966, uilleann, or Irish
bagpipes, were an endangered
musical species. Beginning modestly
with weekly lessons for adults
and children on a few traditional
Irish instruments, the club quickly
developed a following. Their
innovative community-based
program and enormously influential
instruction books did much to
revive interest in Irish music
and traditional culture. The club
has trained many of today's leading
Irish musicians. It hosts the annual
William Kennedy Piping Festival,
and its teaching staff includes
some of Ireland's most talented
performers. The Vallely's children
grew up to be mainstays of such
renowned Irish traditional bands
as Lúnasa, Nomos, and Buille.
Two of them join Eithne at the
Festival. www.armaghpipers.com

Armagh Rhymers
Brendan Bailey,
    Portadown, County Armagh
Anne Hart,
    Armagh, County Armagh
Peter J. Shortall,
    Keady, County Armagh
Dara Vallely,
    Armagh, County Armagh

For nearly three decades, the
Armagh Rhymers have brought
Ireland's ancient "rhyming"
tradition to audiences throughout
the world. Rhyming and
"mumming" are types of Irish folk
drama that date back hundreds,
and possibly thousands, of years.
They involve small troupes of
masked performers who travel
from house to house during the
darkest days of winter to perform
short skits for luck and prosperity.
The Armagh Rhymers maintain
and preserve this ancient tradition
and share it across community
boundaries and generations.
www.armaghrhymers.com

Aughakillymaude
Community Mummers
Leanne Drumm,
    Enniskillen, County Fermanagh
Carina Ferguson,
    Belcoo, County Fermanagh
Jim Ledwith,
    Enniskillen, County Fermanagh
Michael McBarron,
    Derrylin, County Fermanagh
Adrian McBrien,
    Derrylin, County Fermanagh
Donard McClean,
    Bangor, County Down
Dessie Reilly,
    Irvinestown, County Fermanagh

The Aughakillymaude Community
Mummers are a sixteen-member,
cross-community group dedicated
to maintaining and reviving
ancient mumming traditions in
rural County Fermanagh. Like
the Rhymers in nearby County
Armagh, they go door-to-door
performing ancient skits that bring
prosperity, good luck, and fun to
neighboring households. The
group has begun touring
internationally and recently
opened the Mummers Museum
in a repurposed schoolhouse in
Aughakillymaude, not far from
Derrylin.
www.fermanagh.info/aughakillymaude

Craobh Rua
Michael Cassidy,
    Belfast, County Antrim
Brian Connolly,
    Belfast, County Antrim
Conor Lamb,
    Crumlin, County Antrim
James Rainey,
    Belfast, County Antrim

One of Northern Ireland's most
prominent traditional music
ensembles, Craobh Rua has
numerous international tours and
well-received recordings to its
credit. The group is a frequent
visitor to Washington and has
performed at The John F. Kennedy
Center and The Smithsonian
Associates. The band takes its name
from the legendary Red Branch
Knights, who figured prominently
in the pre-Christian Ulster Cycle
legends. www.craobhrua.com

Lucy Mulholland and Cuckoo's Nest
Lucy Mulholland,
    Carryduff, County Down
Lyn Rankin,
    Carryduff, County Down
James McElheran,
    Cushendun, County Antrim
Dominic McNabb,
    Ballycastle, County Antrim
Patsy Downey,
    Belfast, County Antrim

Dance instructors Lucy Mulholland
and Lyn Rankin are respected
teachers of local Ulster-Scots
community dance styles, which
are still enjoyed in areas like the
Ards Peninsula. They will lead
Ulster-Scots dance workshops
and dance parties throughout the
Festival and will be accompanied
by the Cuckoo's Nest, a trio of
experienced instrumentalists led
by fiddler Dominic McNabb, an
expert on the traditional tunes and
fiddle styles of the Glens of Antrim.

Patricia Flynn, Mullaghbawn,
    Newry, County Armagh
A respected singer of traditional
songs and ballads, Flynn was
born in Drumintee in South
Armagh and now lives nearby in
Mullaghbawn. While rearing her
family, she developed a strong
interest in local songs. She recorded
some outstanding examples on her
album Stray Leaves. She actively
promotes local music and is one of
the founders of the Slieve Gullion
Festival of Traditional Singing.

Four Men and a Dog
Kevin Doherty,
    Armagh, County Armagh
Cathal Hayden,
    Pomeroy, County Tyrone
Gino Lupari,
    Magherafelt, County Londonderry
Donal Murphy,
    Armagh, County Armagh
Gerry O'Connor,
    Armagh, County Armagh

This virtuoso ensemble blends
traditional Irish music with
American bluegrass, country, rap,
swing, polka, and international
influences to create a unique
high-energy sound. One of
Northern Ireland's most prominent
ensembles, Four Men has enlivened
the international festival and concert
scenes since 1990. Their albums
Barking Mad and Shifting Gravel
are considered classics. In addition
to playing with the group, each of
the members has a prominent solo
career. www.fourmenandadog.com

Len Graham, Mullaghbawn,
    Newry, County Armagh
Born into an Antrim family
steeped in traditional music, song,
and dance, Graham is one of the
foremost performers and collectors
of Ulster music. A recipient of
numerous awards and accolades, he
uses traditional songs to pass down
Ulster's history to contemporary
audiences. A professional singer
since 1982, he has been the source
of traditional songs for many
of Ireland's leading performers,
including Altan, The Chieftains,
De Danann, and Dolores Keane.
Graham toured many years with
the brilliant storyteller John
Campbell, who died in 2006.
At the Festival, Graham is
performing with his new partner,
the respected storyteller Jack Lynch.
www.storyandsong.com/len.htm

Hidden Fermanagh
Gabriel McArdle,
    Enniskillen, County Fermanagh
Cathal McConnell, County
    Fermanagh/Edinburgh, Scotland
Jim McGrath,
    Monea, County Fermanagh
Pat McManus,
    Teemore, County Fermanagh

Hidden Fermanagh is a loose
confederation of more than
twenty of County Fermanagh's
best traditional musicians. It
takes its name from a recently
completed book and CD project
that documented local Fermanagh
music through performances,
interviews, tunes, and songs.
Organized by Cyrile Maguire,
the group's Festival membership
includes singer Gabriel McArdle;
accordionist Jim McGrath; fiddler
Pat McManus; and flutist, singer,
and Boys of the Lough band
member Cathal McConnell.
www.fermanaghmusic.com

Jarlath Henderson,
    Dungannon, County Tyrone
Raised in a musical family, uilleann
piper Jarlath joined the Armagh
Pipers Club at the age of ten. He
won the first of three All-Ireland
Fleadh competitions at age
twelve, and in 2003, just after his
eighteenth birthday, he became
the first Irish person to win the
BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards.
Currently a medical student at
the University of Aberdeen in
Scotland, Jarlath also maintains a
busy schedule as an international
touring artist and member of
several ensembles, including the
Jarlath Henderson/Ross Aislie
Band and Glasgow's Salsa Celtica.

George Holmes,
    Donaghadee, County Down
Steeped in the music and history of
his community, Holmes has been a
folk musician since the 1970s and
is the former director of culture at
the Ulster-Scots Agency. He has
appeared in folk clubs and festivals
throughout Britain, Ireland, and
North America. The County Down
native plays numerous instruments,
including banjo, dulcimer, flute,
and Lambeg and bodhran drums.
He is also an active member of
the Belfast Harp Orchestra.

John Kennedy,
    Cullybackey, County Antrim
One of the great voices of Irish
traditional song, Kennedy is
also a renowned fife and whistle
player, storyteller, and entertainer.
His repertoire includes many
rare ballads and unusual tunes
from his Ulster-Scots community
near Lough Neagh. He recently
received an MBE from Queen
Elizabeth for his contributions
to culture in Northern Ireland.

The Low Country Boys
Ivan McFerran, Glastry,
    Ballyhalbert, County Down
Mark Thompson, County Down
Graeme Thompson,
    Newtownards, County Down
Gibson Young,
    Greyabbey, County Down

Drawing upon the music of the
"mission halls and farms" of the
Ards Peninsula on Northern
Ireland's east coast, this quartet
plays a combination of old Scots,
Ulster-Scots, and "Hillbilly" gospel
music. Singing in Ulster-Scots
with an infusion of American
gospel and bluegrass, their
repertoire reflects an important
facet of Northern Ireland's musical
heritage—one that is rarely
heard by American audiences.
www.lowcountryboys.com

Jack Lynch, County Armagh
Storyteller Lynch is firmly rooted
in the Irish seanchaí tradition, as
presented in modern times by such
great storytellers as Eamon Kelly
and John Campbell. He tells a wide
range of tales that draw on Ireland's
rich oral tradition, combining
folkloric elements with ancient Irish
myths and wonder tales. He appears
regularly at local and international
arts and storytelling festivals and is
a founding member of Storytellers
of Ireland/Aos Scéal Éireann
and the Dublin Yarnspinners.

Mick Quinn,
    Newry, County Down
Born in Carricknagavna in South
Armagh and now retired to
Mullaghbawn, Mick learned many
of his stories and songs from his
father and neighborhood barn
and "flax" dances in the 1940s.
A noted author of comic songs
and a great raconteur, he is a highly
respected Northern Irish storyteller
and source of traditional songs.

Colum Sands,
    Rostrevor, County Down
A member of the famous musical
Sands family, Colum is respected
for his talents as a performer,
songwriter, and CD producer.
His BBC Radio Ulster's Folk Club
program and other radio work
earned him a Living Tradition
Award for services to Folk and
Traditional Music. His recent
book, Between Earth and the
Sky, contains songs, stories, and
experiences that reflect his farflung
travels and his hopes for the
future. www.columsands.net

Tommy Sands,
    Rostrevor, County Down
An internationally celebrated singer,
songwriter, and social activist,
Sands is a member of the influential
musical family that helped create a
worldwide following for Irish music
during the 1960s. Author of such
classic songs as "There Were Roses,"
"Daughters and Sons," and "Come
on Home to the County Down,"
his works have been translated into
many languages and have been
recorded by such artists as Joan
Baez, Kathy Mattea, Dolores Keane,
Sean Keane, Frank Patterson,
Dick Gaughan, and The Dubliners.
The Lilliput Press recently
published his autobiography,
The Songman: A Journey in
Music. www.tommysands.com

Session Band
Maurice Bradley, Draperstown,
    County Londonderry
Catherine McLean Sands,
    Ballycastle, County Antrim
Michael Sands, Ballycastle,
    County Antrim

Sessions—informal gatherings
of musicians, singers, and
storytellers—are the heart of Irish
traditional music. Today, sessions
usually take place in pubs and public
spaces rather than in private houses.
They are essential to preserving
and transmitting Irish songs, tunes,
and music. Although performers
of all levels are welcomed to "sit
in," session leaders maintain proper
etiquette and customs. We are
honored to have several of Northern
Ireland's most prominent session
musicians lead an on-going session
on the Lough Erne Inn stage.

Nisha Tandon, Belfast, County Antrim
Indian dancer and communityarts
organizer Nisha Tandon
arrived in Belfast from India in
the late 1970s. For many years, she
worked in arts development and
community relations at Belfast's
Indian Community Centre and was
the driving force behind the Belfast
Mela celebrations in 2004 and 2005.
She left recently to direct ArtsEkta,
a new organization dedicated to
bringing "more awareness of
the different ethnic minorities
living within Northern Ireland."
www.artsekta.org.uk/contact.html

Robert Watt,
    Maghera, County Londonderry
Watt has won the All Ireland
Championship as well as every
other major solo competition for
Highland Bagpipes on the island
of Ireland. He began playing at
age seven, and as a child, joined
the local Tamlaght O'Crilly Pipe
Band. In 1998, he was accepted
into Belfast's renowned Field
Marshall Montgomery Pipe Band.
After several years, he left to
pursue a career as a soloist. He
has recorded five solo albums and
is a sought-after performer and
session musician. He is particularly
interested in the traditions of
Highland pipe bands in Northern
Ireland. www.robertwatt.co.uk

Roisin White,
    Cavanacaw, County Armagh
Born in Kilkeel, County Down,
White is one of the foremost
exponents of Ulster song traditions.
She studied Irish Gaelic and
traditional singing in the Aran
Islands with respected source
singers, who inherited and
maintained their local community
and family musical traditions. She is
renowned for her own earthy, warm
singing style and wide repertoire
of songs in both English and Irish.
Her cassette, First of My Rambles,
has been re-released as a CD.

Mark Wilson,
    Craigavon, County Armagh
Lee Lawson,
    Campbelltown, Argyll, Scotland
Snare drumming is an integral
part of Northern Ireland pipe
band traditions. Award-winning
percussionist Mark Wilson and his
cousin and student, Lee Lawson,
are leading performers and teachers
of the intricate drumming styles
associated with Scottish and
Irish pipe bands. Lawson is also
a classically trained percussionist
and one of a growing number of
women involved in pipe bands.