Masterclasses 2024
Date: Saturday 2nd of March
Registration: 10 am
Venue: St Patrick’s Hall Corofin, Location >>
Times: 10.30am – 1pm.
Sarah O’Gorman – Intermediate Fiddle
All-Ireland Senior Fiddle Champion 2022, Sarah O’Gorman is 25 years old from County Waterford. She is a primary school teacher and also has a degree in Irish and Music. Sarah also has a diploma in music from the London College of Music and she is a qualified teacher from the Comhaltas TTCT Diploma course that covers all aspects of teaching Irish traditional music. Sarah started playing the fiddle at a very young age and has developed her own style of playing over the years. In the recent years, Sarah has started to teach the fiddle to her own students and loves to pass on what she has learned, new techniques, history, and style. Now Sarah’s students are having their own success. Some of Sarah’s students have won county, Munster, and All-Ireland titles at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. In 2016, Sarah was the tutor for the Sliabh gCua Instrumental music group in Scór na nÓg. The group won both Munster and the All-Ireland titles, the first time the both titles were ever won by a Waterford group.
Hannah Collins – Advanced Piano
Hannah Collins is a piano player, teacher and composer from Skibbereen, West Cork. She is a UCC alumnus, having graduated with a BA in Irish and Music in 2019, and a BMus in 2020. Throughout her time in UCC, she was granted a Quercus Creative Performing Arts Scholarship, and she was also awarded the Donal ‘Doc’ Gleeson Award for performance and the Mary V. Hart Award for academic achievement.
Following her degree she completed an MA in Irish Traditional Music at Maynooth University, where she released her debut solo piano EP, Casadh na Taoide. In 2021 Hannah was awarded a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to teach Irish at the University of Montana for a year, where she was very involved in the Irish music community.
Currently, Hannah is teaching and performing regularly and is a member of Taobh na Mara Céilí Band, who recently released their debut self-titled album.
Conor Arkins – Advanced Fiddle
Conor Arkins is a multi-instrumentalist and teacher from Ruan in County Clare. With music and song in the house from a very young age, Conor quickly took to the fiddle and the flute and hasn’t looked back. As a graduate of University College Cork and UL, Conor was awarded two first-class honours degrees, a BA in Music and Irish and a BMus and a first-class Masters from the University of Limerick. During his undergraduate studies, Conor was a recipient of the prestigious Quercus Talented Students Scholarship. He is now currently pursuing postgraduate research in UCC funded by the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences’ Excellence Scholarship Programme.
Having received the Staff Gebruers Memorial Prize in Music, Conor’s research has also been co-funded by the Jago Trust. His research interests focus primarily on the music of West Clare, in particular the fiddle music of Bobby Casey and Junior Crehan. This past year Conor released a debut duet album with Mayo born concertina player Paul Clesham accompanied by Ryan Molloy and Jim Murray titled ‘The Morning Thrush’. The repertoire on the album is reflective of the many years of great music they shared together during their time studying in Cork. Conor is a member of the 2022 All-Ireland winning senior céili Band, Taobh na Mara and has this passed year released an album with them. Conor is currently the director of the new Irish Traditional Music course at Cork College of Further Education and Training where he co-ordinates the QQI level 5 course of study.
Claire Fennell – Intermediate / Advanced Flute
Claire Fennell from Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, plays Flute, Uilleann Pipes and Tin Whistle. She was greatly influenced by the playing of Conal Ó Gráda, Johnny McCarthy, David Power and Caoimhín Ó Fearghail. She has taught and performed at many music festivals throughout the country. Claire is a member of the 2022 All Ireland Céilí Band Champions, Taobh na Mara
Joseph Mannion – Intermediate / Advanced Button Accordion
Joseph Mannion is an accordion player from Colligan Co. Waterford. Joseph is multi-instrumentalist and has won numerous All-Ireland Medals in accordion, melodeon, bodhran and duet competitions. Joseph is the accordion player in the All-Ireland Senior Céilí Band ‘Taobh na Mara’. The band were crowned All-Ireland Champions in Mullingar Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2022. Joseph also won the Senior Duet competition with his friend Ellen O’Gorman in Mullingar that same year.
Joseph is the current All Ireland Senior Melodeon champion. He has been playing music from a very young age and is highly sought after, he enjoys teaching music and playing at various festivals around the country. Joseph has performed at many festivals such as, Dublin Tradfest, Corofin Tradfest and the Kilfenora Tradfest.
Joseph is known for his craftmanship and was awarded ‘Foroige NFTE Young Entrepreneur of the Year’in 2020. His business ‘JM Woodwork and Personalised Engravings’ shows his love for music and woodwork.
Rebecca Saich – Intermediate / Advanced Concertina
Rebecca Saich is a concertina player from Kilworth, North County Cork. Rebecca began playing the concertina at a young age and has been taught by well renowned Irish Traditional musicians such as Bobby Gardiner, Ernestine Healy, Tommy Fitzharris and Niall Vallely. Some of her achievements include winning Siansa Gael Linn while attending Meanscoil San Nioclás, An Rinn at the National Concert Hall in 2013. Her most recent success was winning the Senior Céilí Band Competition at the All Ireland Fleadh in 2022 with Taobh na Mara, who have recently released their self titled debut album.
Rebecca holds a BA in Irish and Music from UCC as well as a Masters in Education. While attending UCC, Rebecca was awarded a Comhaltas Scholarship for tuition as well as The Donal “Doc Gleeson” award for most outstanding end of year performance at UCC Music Department.
Rebecca is also an accomplished Irish dancer with All Ireland and World medals. Both music and dance have given her wonderful opportunities to perform with various groups and shows and she has travelled to many countries in Europe, America, Canada and China.
Danny Collins – Intermediate / Advanced Banjo
Danny Collins, from West Cork is a multi-instrumentalist and composer. He started playing Traditional Irish Music at the age of seven and has been highly involved in the Traditional music circuit ever since. After graduating with a first class honours BA in Irish Music and Dance at the University of Limerick, Danny has since toured extensively with music shows, dance shows, tutored at many festivals and performed on both national and international stages all over the world. Danny is a member of the multi-award-winning quintet Goitse. He is a multiple All Ireland winner on numerous instruments, with his most recent All Ireland success being attained as a member of the All Ireland winning Céilí Band ‘Taobh na Mara’. He is a well sought after performer, tutor and music teacher with many of his students also achieving All Ireland success.