Elders of Fiddling

Sunday, 4th May | 3 p.m. | The Pastoral Centre

This is a tribute to the gatekeepers of the fiddling tradition over the past decades - the men and women who have been flag carriers, maybe teachers, mentors and who have inspired generations of younger musicians to take up the fiddle and bow and start their own journey; the same people who have kept the tradition of the session alive in their own communities and many of whom have been stalwarts in Comhaltas Ceoltoirí Eireann locally, provincially, nationally and some of them internationally.

Here are our 2025 Elders, one from each of the four provinces of Ireland, UK and USA. We wish to acknowledge their life-long commitment to traditional Irish music, enjoy listening to them on stage, telling their own stories and witnessing a collective of our greatest exponents of our unique Irish fiddling tradition.

We wish to acknowledge Labhrás Ó Murchú and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann for sponsoring the Elder awards. We also wish to thank Marc Kelly for creating these amazing sculptured awards.

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Connie O Connell

Connie O’Connell is a fiddle player and composer from Cill na Martra, in the Múscraí Gaeltacht outside of Macroom, Co. Cork. He has been strongly influenced by the music of Sliabh Luachra particularly by fiddle players Denis Murphy, Pádraig O’Keeffe and Julia Clifford. He appears on Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann’s recording Ceol go Maidin with Séamus MacMathúna (flute), Jimmy Doyle (accordion) and Úna Mhic Mhathúna (songs). His solo recording Ceol Chill na Martra was published by Shanachie records 2000. He has been a tutor at Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy for many years and has worked in the music department of University College Cork having been initially invited there by Micheál Ó Súilleabháin in the 1980s. In 2015 a collection of his compositions, “Bóithrín na Smaointe” was released as two CDs (recorded by Connie and his daughter, Áine), a book of the tunes and free online resources. In 2022, he was awarded Cumadór na Bliana (Composer of the year) at the TG4 Gradam Ceoil Awards.

Sean Montgomery

Seán Montgomery is a fiddle player hailing from Walkinstown, Dublin. He has been associated with the Cumann na bPíobairí Uilleann (Pipers’ Club) branch of Comhaltas all his life. 

He is a very proud pupil of the late Seán Keane (of Chieftains fame) and also received considerable encouragement and inspiration from his parents John and Monica, his uncle, Eddie Ryan (Banjo) and his Grandfather, John Ryan (Concertina) along with the many musicians who frequented the well-known Pipers’ Club in 14, Thomas Street, Dublin.

Seán holds several solo and group All-Ireland titles for Fiddle, Duet (with Eamon Lane, Pipes) and the famed Pipers’ Club Céilí band. He has toured extensively with CCÉ to the USA, Great Britain and Ireland as well as Japan, Germany and Switzerland.

Seán was one of the fiddle players featured on the ground breaking “An Fhidil” (Sraith 1) set of records produced by Gael Linn in the late 1970s. He has displayed his commitment to traditional Irish music and fiddle playing over his lifetime through his work with the Pipers’ Club as a teacher and mentor as well as a producer of All-Ireland winning Scoraíochts and Pléarachas. He has also served as Cathaoirleach and Runaí of this famous branch of CCÉ as well as serving on the Coiste Ceoil of CCÉ.

Seán’s passion for Music Education has been demonstrated as a tutor, lecturer and assessor of the Comhaltas teacher-training course (TTCT) since having completed the course himself in 1982.

Seán’s fiddle playing has long been appreciated and acknowledged by his peers and in traditional music circles generally. Seán’s wish as a legacy would be that those he has taught the fiddle would continue to pass on and cherish their musical gift throughout their lives to others. He wishes to pay tribute to all those, including his family, whose support has meant so much to him and has enriched his own musical journey.

Rose Flanagan

Rose Conway Flanagan originally began Irish music lessons with Martin Mulvihill while growing up in the Bronx. Her parents emigrated from Co Tyrone to USA.

Rose developed her New York Sligo style of fiddling with the help friend and mentor, Martin Wynne and her older brother Brian Conway. The famous Friday Night Sessions at her home on Wallace Ave was a meeting place for a host of New York based musicians including Martin Wynne, Louis Quinn, Martin Mulhaire and Andy McGann. Rose was on the original Cherish the Ladies album released in 1984.

Married to fellow fiddle player Mike Flanagan, and busy rearing her family, Rose began teaching fiddle to local students in 1995. Her daughter Maeve, went on to win the under 12 All Ireland in 2001 as well as many other all Ireland medals. 

Rose was inducted into the Mid-Atlantic Region CCE Hall of Fame in 2013 alongside her father, Jim and her brother, Brian.

In 2018 Rose was the recipient of the Turloch Carolan Award for musical achievement. Rose was also recognised by the Irish Association of the greater Bergen County NJ area for her work and success preserving and promoting the great Irish Fiddle tradition. 

In 2019 Rose was awarded the Irish Artist in America achievement award from the O’Flaherty Irish Music Retreat in Texas where she joined the ranks of other icons of trad including Kevin Burke, Seamus Connolly, Liz Carroll and Joanie Madden.

Rose was presented with the 2021 Rockland County Woman of the Year award from the McBride chapter Hunger Memorial alongside her fellow Pearl River music teachers Patty Furlong and Margie Mulvihill.

In 2022 she received The TEASTAS award from CCE for her many years of dedication and services to the mid-Atlantic fleadh.

Rose currently co-runs a large music school in her hometown of Pearl River with fellow teachers Patty Furlong and Margie Mulvihill. Rose’s former fiddle students include a host of regional and All-Ireland champions and medallists including All Ireland fiddle champions Dylan Foley and John Paul Reynolds among others. Rose’s teaching skills are highly sought after and as such, she has served as an instructor at numerous fiddle workshops all over the USA, Canada and Ireland. Rose runs seisiuns, plays at ceilis and performs in various concerts throughout the country.

Féile Oriel 2025 is delighted to honour Rose Flanagan for her decades of dedication to the promotion of trad music across the USA and specifically in the realm of trad Irish fiddling.