Brian Collins - Uileann Pipes
  Pat Costelloe  - Banjo
  Breda O'Gorman - Flute
   Bernie Liddy - Fiddle
   Denis Liddy - Fiddle
  David O'Brien - Flute
   Brian O'Dea - Accordion
   Marie Quigney - Percussion

Brian Collins is from Barefield, Co. Clare. He is currently a student in Limerick city. He began learning the tin whistle in Barefield National School, taught by Denis Liddy. He also learned from Frank Custy in Toonagh. He played flute with the Barefield underage bands and groups. Brian graduated onto the uilleann pipes about five years ago after becoming enlightened to their magnificence by hearing various people playing such as Cormac Kerins, one of the other pipers in the Barefield camp. Mick Coyne and Mick Dunne were a great help in passing on the trade to Brian. Mick Dunne furnished him with his first practice set of pipes. Pipers like Marco Polier, Kevin Rowsome, Brian McNamara and Mikie Smyth influenced Brian when he attended workshops given by them.

Brian has enjoyed many trips abroad playing music, including tours with the Barefield groups, a Comhaltas Convention in Toronto in 2001, St. Patrick's Day in Shanghai 2002, a festival in Southern Spain in 2002 and the U.S.A. in 2003.

 

Pat Costello was born in Tipperary on March 7, 1947, very bad winter. Both Pat’s parents had the gift of music. His mother played the melodeon and loved dancing while his father played bagpipes, piccolo and flute, and was a member of the famous Seán Tracy Pipe Band which has graced many a sporting and social occasion over the years. A very important part of his early musical life was the arrival from the United States of an uncle of his father whose name was Kieran. He played the accordion and melodeon, and had a passion for music, horses and mischief. Pat’s first encounter with this amazing man was just after his eighty-second birthday when he came to live with them for his remaining years. Kieran would give regular recitals on the melodeon and Pat would accompany him on a makeshift drum with a pair of drumsticks fashioned from the rungs of a chair. Some years later Pat had the pleasure of being taught to play drums by a superb drummer called Mick Cooney, a member of a great family of musicians and dancers who lived in the parish. Mick, in addition to playing as “leading tipper” in their pipe band also played drums with Paddy O'Brien’s Ormonde Céilí Band.

Pat went on to develop an interest in banjo and other stringed instruments and made the perilous journey through the “folk and ballad” boom of the late sixties and early seventies prancing around the countryside in an aran jumper trying very hard to sound like Pete Seeger. With the arrival of affordable tape recorders Pat began collecting music, songs and folklore, an activity that still holds a fascination for him to the present moment. The musical journey has taken Pat to many different parts of the world over the last forty years providing tantalising glimpses of the voices and sounds that are at the centre of the human experience. In the later years many of these journeys have been made in the company of the indestructible Shaskeen, recording, performing and celebrating over three decades of music-making.

Bríd O'Gorman originally from Liscannor, began playing music when she was five years old. Her first instrument was the tin whistle, which she learned from Gus Tierney of the Kilfenora Céilí Band. She then moved on to the timber flute and attended classes with Eammon Cotter of the Shaskeen Céilí Band. Bríd won many solo All-Ireland competitions on the flute at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann as well as many All-Ireland duet and trio competitions with her family, all of whom play music.

Bríd is a primary school teacher but is currently on secondment from her teaching job and has spent the last year travelling around Ireland training primary teachers on a new music curriculum, which is being implemented in schools nationwide. She is involved in the music scene in Co. Clare and is teaching music to children and adults locally. She was also involved in the recording of a CD released by Mary Immaculate College of Education, Limerick, in 1998 to celebrate the centenary of the college. Bríd also took up playing classical flute recently and has completed exams and been awarded a scholarship for this.

 

Bernadette Liddy is the youngest member of the Liddy family from Newmarket-on-Fergus. She has many achievements to her credit, including Munster and All-Ireland Pléaracha na nÓg titles, Munster and World dancing championship medals, and was a member of the All-Ireland winning senior Grúpa Cheoil, in Letterkenny, 2005.

Bernadette has toured in the UK, Estonia, and travelled to America with a group from Carrigaline, Co. Cork. She cites her main influences as Martin Hayes and Brendan McGlinchy. In her spare time, Bernadette is a keen camogie player.

 

Denis Liddy originally from Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co. Clare, has been immersed in music and playing fiddle since he was eight years old. Denis has won numerous All-Ireland awards as a soloist and as a group and band member. He has toured worldwide with music groups, bands and as a soloist and features regularly in music events nationwide. He released the CD Waifs and Strays in collaboration with legendary Kilshanny flute player Michael Hynes and guitarist Rob Sharer in 2003 to critical acclaim. Other recordings on which he has played over the years include Ireland, A Musical Journey with Michel Sikiotakis in 1994, Planxty O'Rourke in 1995, Tuath with Órfhlaith Ní Bhríain in 1999 and The Bee's Wing with Turloughmore Céilí Band in 2001. Denis is a primary school teacher and has been teaching music since 1982 with a particular focus over the last fifteen years in the Barefield area. Since 1999 his students have recorded three CD's: Iolar, Flowers of the Burren, and Between the Sets, and toured in the UK, France, Spain, Canada, China and USA as well as numerous performances nationwide.

Denis has involved himself as both a musician and teacher in numerous music festivals and events including Ennis Trad Festival, Willie Clancy Summer School and Fleadh Nua.

 

David O'Brien is a young flute player from Barefield, Co. Clare. He began his musical journey in Barefield National School, where he was taught tin whistle by Denis Liddy. He progressed onto the flute under the tuition of Garry Shannon. Like Brian Collins, David played with the Barefield Céilí Band at an underage level, competing, recording and touring with them, and enjoying much success. A student in Cork, David derives much pleasure in travelling with his music, and has toured in Toronto (50th anniversary of Comhaltas), Milwaukee Irish Fest (where he taught) and Europe, and he was a member of the Comhaltas Irish tour in 2003.

 

Brian O'Dea is originally from Ballynacally, Co. Clare, and is the eldest member of a very musical family. His sisters Carmel and Teresa play fiddle and concertina respectively, and are highly accomplished musicians also. Brian first began to learn to play the button accordion under the tutelage of noted box player Johnny McCarthy who taught in Ballynacally National School. He also learnt a lot of music and technique from Frank Keane. Brian was a member of St Flannan's Céilí Band in his teens and while later studying medicine in Galway he participated in the session scene there. He has played at music festivals abroad including the L'orient festival in France and his recording credits remarkably include some tracks with our great rivals, the award-winning Ennis Céilí Band!

 

Marie Quigney hails from Clooney, Co. Clare. An accomplished accordion player, Marie comes from a musical family. Her grandfather passed on the music to her mother, who plays whistle, her father plays bagpipes in the Tulla Pipe Band, her sister Áine plays fiddle and her brother Anthony plays flute with the Kilfenora Céilí Band. Her mother and brother started her on tin whistle and she was taught accordion by Clare Griffin.

Marie also studied classical piano, and later joined her knowledge of both traditions to become an extremely talented accompanist. She earned awards in numerous Munster and All-Ireland competitions. She joined the Turloughmore Céilí Band in 2001. Marie works as a doctor in Limerick city.

 

All profile information courtesy of www.turloughmoreceiliband.com