Darren O'Mahony

Episode 20: Jim Dalton Interview (Mandolin, Banjo)

October 22nd, 2019  |  44 mins 36 secs

Leaving Ireland, foundry work, Cardiff sessions and leaving your banjo at home. Oh, and Bush Bands, mandolins and marches.

Episode 19: Kate Burke Interview (Guitar, singing)

October 15th, 2019  |  59 mins 43 secs

burke, canberra, ciaran o'grady, concertina, dadgad, donal og, druth, guitar, kate, luke plumb, singing, songwriter, trouble in the kitchen

Guitarist, singer and songwriter Kate Burke on late nights when the music takes over; on Bela Bartok's graphic notation; on bush fires, sneaky pints and DADGAD.

Episode 18: Tony O'Rourke Interview (Banjo, guitar) - The Blarney Pilgrims Traditional Irish Music Podcast

October 8th, 2019  |  1 hr 5 mins

banjo, guitar, johnny connolly, melodeon, melody, the monkees, tony o rourke

The consolations of melody, Johnny Connolly's melodeon, the invention of white-out and The Monkees.

Episode 17: David Game Interview (Fiddle) - The Blarney Pilgrims Traditional Irish Music Podcast

October 1st, 2019  |  50 mins 13 secs

canberra, david, donegal, fiddle, game, guildford, mandolin, sydney

'It's kind of like falling in love or something... you just gotta do something about it. So I bought a mandolin.' David Game on being smitten, rare Irish albums of the 1970s, Donegal fiddling and musicians of sessions past in Sydney and Canberra.

Episode 16: Angus Barbary Interview (Fiddle) - The Blarney Pilgrims Traditional Irish Music Podcast

September 24th, 2019  |  53 mins 30 secs

angus, banger, barbary, classical, dance, fiddle, groove, hoedown, melbourne, socio-spatial, swing, sydney, throwdown, trad

Finding the grove, making people dance and socio-spatial crossovers. Hmmm... we cover a lot in this episode. Thanks Angus.

Episode 15: Michelle Doyle and Mickey O'Donnell Interview (Harp & fiddle) - The Blarney Pilgrims Traditional Irish Music Podcast

September 17th, 2019  |  1 hr 5 mins

awareness, celtic, fiddle, harp, hike, michelle doyle, mickey o'donnell, new zealand, osteoporosis, pozible

Harps, fiddles and brittle bones. Michelle and Mickey talk to us before they head off on their great adventure - hiking and gigging their way from the tip of New Zealand to the bottom in a bid to raise awareness for Osteoporosis.

Episode 14: Paddy Fitzgerald Interview (Accordion, Lilting) - The Blarney Pilgrims Traditional Irish Music Podcast

September 10th, 2019  |  1 hr 25 mins

accordion, australia, fitzgerald, galway, gob music, ireland, melbourne, paddy

One of the most respected and influential players in the traditional Irish scene here in Melbourne and internationally, Paddy Fitzgerald sits down with us for a few tunes and a chat about where it all began.

Episode 13: Sean Mathews Interview (Unaccompanied singing) - The Blarney Pilgrims Traditional Irish Music Podcast

September 3rd, 2019  |  1 hr 8 mins

The nyah, fireside values, singing unaccompanied, and so much more. Sean and Darren dig deep about what it was like growing up in Drogheda and feeling disconnected from the music.

Episode 12: John Carty Interview (Banjo) - The Blarney Pilgrims Traditional Irish Music Podcast

August 27th, 2019  |  1 hr 7 mins

banjo, carty, drogheda, fiddle, flanagan brothers' award, fleadh, ireland, irish, john, london, music, sessions, sligo, trad

Banjo in Irish music, where "the session" was born, musical accents and so much more. While in Drogheda to receive The Flanagan Brothers' Award, John Carty stopped past Darren's Mam and Dad's to sit down, chat and play us some tunes.

Episode 11: Chris Fitzgerald Interview (Fiddle) - The Blarney Pilgrims Traditional Irish Music Podcast

August 20th, 2019  |  59 mins 34 secs

ambulance, bush, busking, chris, fiddle, fitzgerald, jar, last, melbourne, session

Community, people and what happens in a session. Chris Fitzgerald takes us from the Bush to Europe and back again.

Episode 10: Bush Gothic Interview (Fiddle, double bass, percussion, vocal) - The Blarney Pilgrims Traditional Irish Music Podcast

August 13th, 2019  |  1 hr 5 secs

Bush Gothic reimagine traditional songs - from Australia, Ireland, England, wherever they find them - in the deepest sense of that word ‘reimagine.’ What happens when that happens? Songs are suddenly visible in new light, with new contours and meanings evident. It’s pretty amazing. You think about words you’ve heard maybe hundreds of times before in a whole new way.

And as I mention in the intro to the episode, they leave space in their arrangements, so you can really hear the songs, the music, unfurl. So listen, with headphones if possible, cos this is seriously beautiful music.

Episode 9: Kevin Burke Interview (Fiddle) - The Blarney Pilgrims Traditional Irish Music Podcast

August 6th, 2019  |  2 hrs 4 mins

bothy band, fiddle, kevin burke, kevin burke interview

A boy in post war London, learning the fiddle from Ms. Christopherson, bumping into Joe Burke at JFK after failing to get Arlo Guthrie’s phone number from Directory Enquiries, and so much more. This was delightful. Have a listen.

Episode 8: Beth McCracken Interview (Flute) - The Blarney Pilgrims Traditional Irish Music Podcast

July 30th, 2019  |  53 mins 42 secs

beth, blarney, celtic, classical, declan, fiddle, flute, ireland, irish, mccracken, melbourne, national celtic festival, pilgrims, simpson

Playing from the page, versus playing by ear, Beth McCracken talks about her transition from classical flute to traditional Irish music. Through her personal story, Beth highlights just how different these two worlds can be.

Episode 7: Connor Hoy and Austral Interview (Uilleann pipes, fiddles, guitar, didgeridoo) - The Blarney Pilgrims Traditional Irish Music Podcast

July 23rd, 2019  |  45 mins 18 secs

angus barbary, austral, bouzouki, caity brennan, cajon, connor hoy, didgeridoo, fiddle, guitar, rhys crimmin., tambourine, uilleann pipes, whistle

Uilleann pipes and sub-drops. Connor Hoy and Austral share their infectious energy live at the National Celtic Festival.

Episode 6: Daoirí Farrell Interview (Bouzouki, singing) - The Blarney Pilgrims Traditional Irish Music Podcast

July 16th, 2019  |  1 hr 5 mins

an góilín, australia, blarney, bouzouki, celtic, creggan, crumlin, daoiri, dublin, dónal lunny, farrell, geelong, hare, irish, lifetime of happiness, pilgrim, podcast, prodigy, singer, white

From the Prodigy to Pat Rainey, Daoirí Farrell chats about how music changed his life forever.

Episode 5: Maggie Carty Interview (Banjo, singing) - The Blarney Pilgrims Traditional Irish Music Podcast

July 9th, 2019  |  41 mins 40 secs

banjo, blarney, carty, celtic, festival, irish, jim, john carty, maggie, melbourne, national, patton, pilgrims, settle out of court, trad

Maggie Carty plays a few tunes and chats about being immersed in the music all her life, custodianship, and the musicians that made the biggest impact on her playing.