Máirtín O’Connor Trio Comes to Westport

From the Shamrock Traditional Irish Music Society: Irish accordion great Máirtín O’Connor brings his trio to Westport in their only Connecticut date, on a rare US tour for an evening vibrant evening of traditional music. The Irish Echo calls them "Irish traditional music's own 'power trio'...they mean business and achieve art."

The Máirtín O’Connor Trio come to Westport on Friday, April 7th, at 7:30PM, at The Seabury Center, 45 Church Lane. Tickets are $20 and $5 for children. Reserve by contacting Tim Quinn at tmquinn@optonline.net or by phone at 203-257-8737. Presented by the Shamrock Traditional Irish Music Society. For more information visit shamrockirishmusic.org.

The three masters -- with Cathal Hayden on fiddle and banjo, and Patrick Doocey on guitar -- have a special synergy, exploring styles from bluegrass to swing to French musettes with unique joy and kinship. The trio's last visit to the area was in 2014, captivating the audience at The Egg as part of Martin Hayes' Irish "Masters of Tradition."

O'Connor was named Ireland's 2015 Traditional Musician of the Year. A member of legendary Irish bands De Dannan, Boys of the Lough, and a musical force in Riverdance, O'Connor has graced projects by such artists as Mark Knopfler, Elvis Costello, Rod Stewart, and The Waterboys' "Fisherman's Blues" album. The Galway artist picked up the accordian at age nine as both his grandfathers played.

“Genius is an overused word, but it sits lightly on the shoulders of Galwegian accordionist and tune composer Máirtín O’Connor," says The Irish Times.

Cathal Hayden is an All-Ireland champion on fiddle and banjo. From County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, Hayden is a veteran of acclaimed Irish bands Arcady and Four Men & A Dog.

Guitarist Patrick Doocey is an All-Ireland multi-instrumentalist who has toured with such Irish stars as Lúnasa and Sharon Shannon, born in Worcester, MA and raised in County Mayo, Ireland.

The 2017 US tour is made possible in part by the generous support of Culture Ireland.

Artist website: mairtinoconnor.ie

Photo and video courtesy of the Shamrock Traditional Irish Music Society