Teach Séamus Ennis regular Paudie O'Connor will host an unforgettable night of accordion and melodeon music featuring some of Ireland’s best loved accordion players, Johnny Óg Connelly, Conor Connelly and Colm Gannon.

Each of the accordionists will play and discuss music that has influenced them over the years. Johnny Óg Connelly will also reflect on the influence of his legendry father, king of the melodeon, Johnny Connelly as well as giving us an insight into what has inspired his highly regarded compositions.
It promises to be a great night of music and chat. Bígí linn!

Book your free tickets to participate in our live Zoom audience, ask questions and interact with the musicians .
If you simply want to watch the event, log on to our YouTube Channel or Facebook Live stream at 8:30pm on June 12th 2021.

Johnny Óg Connelly is an internationally renowned traditional Irish musician and composer from Connemara. Co. Galway, who began playing the accordion at the age of nine. In 1990 he made the first traditional album released by Cló Iar-Chonnacht entitled The Bees' Wing. In 1994 Johnny joined the Sean Keane Band and travelled widely with Seán in Europe and North America. In 1998 he recorded Dreaming up the Tunes, an accordion/banjo duet album with Brian McGrath. The recording received much critical acclaim. In the same year Johnny joined Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance and toured extensively in Europe, the Middle East and Far East. In 2003 he settled permanently in Conamara, and recorded a second duet album with Charlie Lennon, Dusk Till Dawn, in 2005. In 2016 Johnny released the album Siar. This album consists entirely of his own compositions, apart from one classical track. Each piece is dedicated to a particular person, be they musicians, friends or family members. In this music, Johnny has attempted to reflect a certain occasion or the personality of the person to whom the piece is dedicated. Late in 2016 he began working on An tEarrach Thiar, a song cycle based on twelve poems by Máirtín Ó Direáin. In December 2018 Johnny released his latest instrumental album, Fear Inis Bearachain. This album is a tribute to his father, the late renowned melodeon player, Johnny Connelly.

Colm Gannon was born, in Dorchester, Boston, MA. of Connemara parents. He was a a prolific young player which was recognised in 1994 when he won the All Ireland Button Accordion Competition at Fleadh Cheoil Na hÉireann. Soon after that he settled in Ireland to begin a musical journey that included playing with many groups and ensembles as well as running a highly regarded music school in Spadal, Co Galway. Colm was a member of Riverdance with whom he toured for five years. He has toured the States with world renowned Sligo based band Dervish and the legendary Dé Dannan. He also performed with Dolly Parton, in Dollywood with the show Ragus. He has two highly acclaimed solo albums as well as the excellent The Ewe with The Crooked Horn,with Jessie Smith and John Blake. He now lives in Boston with his wife, concertina player Kelly Gannon.

TG4 Ceoltóir Óg na Bliana (Young Musician of the Year) for 2019 , twenty-seven year old Conor Connelly is a button accordion player and singer from Clarinbridge in South Galway. Very conscious of the musicians and music gone before him, he holds a great appreciation for the recordings of traditional Irish music from the 78 r.p.m era and beyond. The influence of the uilleann pipes and fiddle traditions is discernible in his music. Conor has performed at many festivals at home and abroad and is a highly sought after teacher at music schools and workshops. He is widely acknowledged as a master at the ‘press and draw’ style. He has also promised to treat us to a song or two on the night!

Paudie O Connor is an accordion player from Sliabh Luachra Kerry. His playing follows in the traditions of Sliabh Luachra, with his influences ranging from the bowing of Padraig O Keeffe and Denis Murphy to the time spent in his youth playing with local box players Johnny O Leary, Jimmy Doyle and John Brosnan. In 2005 he launched a landmark recording of Sliabh Luachra music entitled ‘Different State’ which featured in the best of 2005 lists of both The Irish Times and The Irish Echo. Paudie’s music also featured on the album The County Bounds, a 1999 Ossian records production featuring a compilation of music from the Cork-Kerry border including contributions from Johnny O'Leary, Jackie Daly and Peadar Ó Riada. In 2008 Paudie released the album Wind and Reeds with ex-Riverdance uilleann piper John O'Brien and Jim Murray on guitar. Paudie is a regular contributor to traditional music festivals, workshops and lectures at home and abroad. In October 2010 Paudie performed in the music ensemble as part of Rough Magic’s production of Phaedra for the Dublin Theatre Festival and in 2011 presented an episode of Geantraí featuring many of the musicians currently playing in Sliabh Luachra.

Paudie presents the monthly slow music session for adult learners that has been a regular feature at Teach Séamus Ennis over the past 10 years. The session is currently on line with hundreds of subscribers from all over the world.