Gay McKeon, Mary Corcoran, Roma Casey, Tom McDonagh

Gay McKeon: Uilleann pipes
Mary Corcoran: Multi-instrumentalist
Roma Casey: Fiddle, Tin whistle
Tom McDonagh: Bouzouki, Guitar

Gay McKeon is among the most respected exponents of the uilleann pipes of his generation. He began his musical journey in 1960s Dublin under the guidance of the legendary Leo Rowsome at the Pipers’ Club on Thomas Street. Since the 1970s, he has brought his music to audiences throughout Ireland and abroad, noted for a style rooted deeply in tradition yet alive with warmth and expression.
His recordings include the acclaimed solo albums Irish Piping Tradition and The Turning of the Geese, as well as The Dusty Miller, recorded with his sons Conor and Seán. He has also contributed to landmark piping compilations and to The Art of Uilleann Piping tutor series.
A dedicated teacher and performer for over five decades, Gay continues to shape and share the rich, living tradition of Irish piping.

Mary Corcoran is a multi-instrumentalist who has recorded and toured with many solo artists, including John Regan, Harry Bradley, and Tommy Guihan. She has also played and recorded with leading traditional groups including The Chieftains, Macalla, The Templehouse, and more recently the Dublin Lasses, and is recognised for her long-standing involvement in Ireland’s traditional music community.
She began playing the piano at the age of six and developed much of her musical experience through her involvement with the Pipers’ Club on Thomas Street, Dublin. She has also performed and presented on numerous film, television, and radio programmes.

Roma Casey was born and raised in County Dublin. She began her musical career at the age of ten, learning the tin whistle at school, and went on to win the All-Ireland whistle competition a few years later. She took up the fiddle at the age of twelve and studied with the renowned fiddle player Seán Keane of The Chieftains at the Pipers’ Club on Thomas Street, Dublin. There she attended weekly classes and sessions and became deeply involved in its musical community. She was the youngest member of the All-Ireland-winning Pipers’ Club Céilí Band.
Through performing in Dublin folk clubs, she met many musicians and went on to play, tour, and record with groups including Tipsy Sailor, Blasket Sound, Óisín, Macalla, and the Templehouse Céilí Band. She has also taught fiddle in the Faculty of Music at Maynooth University. She continues to perform in Maynooth and Dublin, including collaborations with Tom McDonagh and performances with the Templehouse Trio.

Tom McDonagh is from Dublin and has been playing the bouzouki and guitar since the 1970s. Originally a guitarist, he developed a distinctive bouzouki style, transferring his knowledge of guitar harmony to create a strong rhythmic and chordal accompaniment essential in ensemble playing. His musical career has included extensive touring and performance with many bands and artists, and his playing reflects the influence of the musicians and musical traditions he has encountered.
A founder member of the groups Óisín and Blasket Sound, he has also toured and recorded with artists including Brian McNeill of the Battlefield Band, Gay McKeon, and Na Connery’s. He is featured in "The Irish Bouzouki Tutor", a publication highlighting leading players of the instrument. As a studio musician, he has performed on numerous recordings, including "Lord of the Dance".