Monday Afternoon Concert: Maeve Donnelly, Charlie Harris, Éamonn and Geraldine Cotter - Mná Trio - London Irish Pensioners Choir

Monday Afternoon Concert: Maeve Donnelly, Charlie Harris, Éamonn and Geraldine Cotter - Mná Trio - London Irish Pensioners Choir

Please note that all advertised concert times are door opening times. Performances will commence 30 minutes after doors open. 

Afternoon Concert

In association with Irish Elderly Advice Network

• Maeve Donnelly, Charlie Harris, Éamonn and Geraldine Cotter
• Mná Trio
• London Irish Pensioners Choir Band

Maeve Donnelly, Charlie Harris, Éamonn and Geraldine Cotter

Maeve Donnelly, now living in Co Clare, grew up in East Galway, an area steeped in traditional music. Maeve is highly respected and much sought after as a fiddle teacher at Festivals across Ireland and further afield. She started playing fiddle at the age of six and won her first All-Ireland Fiddle Competition at the age of nine. She has toured extensively and was a member of Moving Cloud. In 2004, Maeve recorded a duet album with Peadar O’Loughlin entitled The Thing Itself. In more recent years, she has released two solo albums. Her latest album, Flame on the Banks was recorded with guitarist Tony McManus. 

Charlie Harris is an accordion player, originally from Kilmallock area of Co. Limerick. In 1974 he moved to London where he met and was influenced by brothers Oliver and Raymond Roland, both had been heavily influenced by the expressively charismatic Joe Cooley. Charlie returned to his ‘musical home’ of Co. Galway in 

1981, here he earned a nationwide reputation for his tuning and repairs of accordions. He toured and recorded several albums with the band Shaskeen. Charlie was awarded the prestigious TG4 Gradam Ceoil Traditional Musician of the Year Award in 2009. Charlie is a long time member of the Tulla Céilí Band and a regular visitor to London with Sliabh Aughty.

Ėamonn Cotter, originally from Ennis but living in Kilmaley in Co. Clare for over 25 years, is a well-known and respected flute player, teacher and flute maker. Ėamonn is a member of Shaskeen. He has recorded on many albums including his most recent solo CD, The Knotted Chord. As well as traditional music, he also has a keen interest in Western Art music and jazz. He is a member of the Limerick Jazz Workshop. 

Geraldine Cotter, Ėamonn’s sister, is a well-known teacher, researcher and performer iron both the tin whistle and piano. She has published three best-selling tutors for tin whistle and piano, the most recent one Rogha, is a tune book with accompanying play-a-long CD. She has recorded on over 20 CDs including her second solo album, Ré Órga which was released in 2024. In 2017 she was honoured with a MÓRglór award for her contribution to traditional music in County Clare. 

All four musicians have been featured on many radio and television programmes, including TG$ Gradam Cheoil 2009, on the occasion of the presentation of Charlie’s Gradam award. 

Mná Trio

The MNÁ Trio comprises Jess Collins (fiddle, dancing, voice), Tara McCarthy (fiddle, viola, voice), and Tara Viscardi (harp, voice). All these members and the wider 5 piece band are passionate about bringing their musical traditions to

wider audiences and strive to merge traditional Irish, English folk and contemporary music in an innovative way, while remaining true to their roots. Their performances feature traditional and folk music from Ireland, England, Brittany and further afield as well as their own original compositions. All active musicians on the traditional, folk and classical scenes across the UK and Ireland, band members have had their music featured on BBC and RTÉ radio.

The Irish Pensioners Choir Band

Founded over 10 years ago, The Irish Pensioners Choir Band brings together more than 30 older Irish people, most in their 70s and 80s, coming from all over Ireland and making their homes here in London over many decades. Although an independent group, it has been supported by the Irish Elderly Advice Network throughout this time.

The choir has performed for audiences of tens of thousands, including several years at London’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Trafalgar Square. Members also performed as part of the Irish community choir in the Royal Albert Hall in honour of President Michael D Higgin’s state visit to Britain in 2014. They have sung on national television for Sir Terry Wogan on ITV and on the BBC’s The One Show. They have performed on RTĖ Radio and Television, and are regularly played by Donncha Ó Dúlaing on the very popular Fáilte Isteach.

The choir has recorded a beautiful album of old Irish songs, Songs of Love and Emigration, which has been very popular with the Irish community, both in London and in Ireland.

This afternoon they are supported by a band of fantastic musicians many of whom will be familiar faces to this part of the festival, namely Nora Mulready (fiddle and vocals), Caroline Regan (concertina and vocals), Caroline Hetherton (vocals), Ciara Holland (guitar and vocals), Nathalie McDermott (vocals), Ed Anderton (guitar) and Billy Faughnan  (keyboard).