World renowned accordion player to play in Tullamore

Paddy O’Brien is a well-known accordion player, traditional composer and musical collector, based in the US but originally from Daingean.

As part of his upcoming tour of Ireland, he is playing in the Thatch on September 23. Paddy O’Brien is regarded by serious players and collectors of Irish traditional music as one of the tradition’s most important repositories; in a career that spans nearly forty years, he has accumulated nearly 4,000 compositions - jigs, reels, hornpipes, airs, and marches, including many rare and unusual tunes.

His collection, all the more remarkable because it is stored in his head, is the result of many years of careful listening, diligent practice, and sharing tunes with people for the sake of the music itself.

Paddy traveled the countryside as a young man to spend time with older players, absorbing music and the accompanying oral tradition. His early influences came from many players he met in sessions, including Joe Delaney and Dan Cleary of Offaly, Donegal fiddler John Doherty, Paddy Fahy, Eddie Kelly from Galway, Frank McCollum of Antrim, Seán Ryan from Tipperary, and Johnny Henry from Mayo, among hosts of others.