
Brenda Castles comes from a rich tradition of music in Co. Meath, having learned concertina from Mícheál Ó'Raghallaigh. She has several All-Ireland Fleadh titles to her name both in solo and group competitions and was a finalist in one of the early Young Traditional Musician of the Year competitions. Music has taken her around the world from Hong Kong to Reykjavik, Taipei to Tipperary.
In 2016 Brenda released her first solo album of traditional Irish music on concertina, 'Indeedin You Needn't Bother' to critical acclaim and her latest album, ‘The Light Side of the Tune’ is just out.
Brenda is much in demand as a performer and teacher. She performs both as a solo artist and with the Green Fields of America. She has recently completed a residency at the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris and is fresh from a solo performance at Tradfest in Dublin.
Interval Act
Bernie Mhic Gabhann from Clare/Dublin/Meath dancing some old style Irish steps with music from Bernadette Nic Gabhann on Fiddle.
Éanna Ó Cróinín is from the Gaeltacht of Ráth Chairn, in County Meath, brought up within the rich Gaelic culture of the area, among traditional singers, dancers musicians and storytellers of the Gaeltacht. He started learning music at a very young age on the whistle and progressed to Uilleann Pipes at the age of 10. He learned his craft as a piper with NPU in Dublin under the tutelage of Nollaig Mac Cárthaigh, Mick O’Brien, Seán óg Potts, Robbie Hannon and others. Éanna has won many national competitions on the pipes at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, Oireachtas na Gaeilge, and the coveted Bonn Óir Sheáin Uí Riada. In 2012, he launched his debut album Ceol Ársa na bPíob (the ancient music of the pipes). In 2019, published a body of research on Uilleann Piping and Pipers in county Meath as part of a book on the musical heritage of Meath entitled Traditional Music and Song in County Meath – Ferguson & Mac Gabhann 2019.
In 2021, he launched his second album, Píobaireacht na Mí - The Meath Piping Tradition based on the repertoire of the piper Hugh Newman (1850-1939) of Moyaugher.