Ciarán O’Maonaigh

A former recipient of TG4 Young Musician of the Year, fiddle player Ciarán Ó Maonaigh hails from the Gaoth Dobhair gaeltacht in Co. Donegal. Growing up, he was heavily influenced by his extended family; his grandfather and teacher Francie Mooney, Altan members Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and Frankie Kennedy, Derry fiddle player Dermot McLaughlin as well as the Donegal fiddle legend John Doherty amongst others.

Ciarán first album Ceol a’Ghleanna/The Music of the Glen was released in 2004. He is also a member of the band Fidil along with Aidan O’Donnell and Damien McGeehan, and they have released 3 acclaimed albums. In 2011 The Old Wheel of Fortune was released with Songlines magazine declaring it “one of the finest albums to emerge from Ireland this decade.”