Shaskeen bring their talent and energy to the Coleman Music Centre in Gurteen on Saturday 18th May at 8pm. The band is made from wonderful musicians including;
Eamonn Cotter
He comes from a fine musical family in Co Clare.. He plays flute and tin whistle and also a master teacher of these instruments. Eamonn has played with St.Flannan’s & the Tulla Ceili Bands and also toured with them. Eamonn is renowned as very fine maker of the traditional concert wooden flute “Cotter Flutes”
Tom Cussen
Tom Cussen plays tenor banjo and mandolin, originally from County Limerick, now a long time resident of Galway. As well as being The Band Leader, Tom is the maker of the renowned Clareen banjos. Tom and Tony have recorded an album together called “There is Always Room in Our House” featuring banjo and saxophone.
Geraldine Cotter
Geraldine Cotter is a native of Ennis, Co. Clare. Geraldine is a well-known teacher and performer on both the tin whistle and piano. She has published two best selling tutors; the first in 1983 for the tin whistle and in 1996 Seinn an Piano, the first of its kind for traditional piano.
In 2002 she launched her first solo album Piano+ and in 2006 Rogha, a tune book with accompanying play-a-long CD. She has recorded on numerous CDs including with her brother Eamonn, Catherine McEvoy, Dympna O Sullivan, Peadar O’Loughlin, Maeve Donnelly, Mary MacNamara, Eileen O’Brien, Tom Cussen and Tony Howley. As well as with Shaskeen she has performed on stage with Martin Hayes, Liz Carroll, John Carty, Patrick Ourceau, Joe Burke, Noel Hill, Tulla and Kilfenora Ceili Bands and Moving Cloud. She is currently a researcher, teacher and lecturer at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance in the University of Limerick.
Patsy McDonagh
Patsy McDonagh who plays accordeon, is playing in the band for the last 15 years comes from the Connemara Gaeltacht. Patsy has played with many bands and folk groups down through the years including the Corrib Ceili Band and Mulhaires Ceili Band. He has also toured many times in USA as well as Germany and France. Patsy is a selftaught musician and now spends a lot of time teaching music to young people.
Katie Theasby
Katie was born in London in 1976 into a very musical family as her father, Paul Theasby, was the fiddle player with Dingle Spike, a London based Irish band. Her mother, Gloria Pahad, who was involved with the African National Congress, was a great influence on her singing and taste in music. Katie was singing in the South African Xhosa language from an early age.
Katie feels very lucky to have grown up both in the London/Irish music scene as well as visiting Kilfenora, Co. Clare, several times a year where she was joining sessions on a regular basis.
A self taught singer and flute/whistle player, Katie started her performing career in London, where she played with Ron Kavana’s band Alias for a couple of years around pubs, clubs and festivals, including an appearance at the Glastonbury Festival at the age of 14. Kilfenora became Katie’s permanent home in 1995 and she has been playing in sessions and festivals around County Clare and further afield since then. During that time, she was lucky to have played with incredible musicians such as Tommy Peoples, Kitty Linnane, Paddy Mullins, Sean Tyrrell, JJ Conway and many others.
Dave Sanders
David originally from Kilnaboy, is now living in Ennis in County Clare. David purchased his first fiddle at the age of nine from Mrs Whyte, and learned his trade from Gus Tierney and Tony Linnane. He has played and or recorded with varying bands through the years most recently with The Wingers, and also Turloughmore Ceili Band, Kilfenora Ceili Band and St Flannans Ceili Band among others.
Mary Liddy
Mary, originally from Newmarket on Fergus and now living in Ennis, Co.Clare. She comes from a traditiona Irish musical family, playing with other members of her family in the Shannonside Céilí Band from an early age. Mary, a concertina player, spends a lot time in her locality teaching music lessons to young musicians on a variety of instruments.
Mary has played with the Turloughmore Céilí Band for many years, recording 3 CDs Seven Streams, The Bees Wing and The Green Road with Seán Ó’Sé. Mary has toured extensively through Europe, the USA & China.
Johnny Donnellan
John Donnellan from Kilmaine, a small village on the Mayo/Galway border. John was surrounded by traditional Irish music at an early age. His uncle James Walsh taught him his first tune on the melodeon at the age of 8 and remains an influence on his style of music.
In 1981 John bought his first bodhran and has continued to develop his styles and techniques ever since, winning six major bodhran titles in the meantime. John has also developed a unique technique to his playing by attaching a block to his bodhran making a distinctive sound when playing. John has also recorded with many local and famous artists and has made a major contribution to the present Shaskeen album.
Tickets are €20 and can be booked through the Coleman Music Centre on 071 918 2599 or on their website here.
