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Paddy O’Brien 
Tune Collection


Curriculum Vitae

Paddy O’Brien - Curriculum Vitae

BORN
September 13, 1945 
Castlebarnagh, Daingean, County Offaly, Ireland 



AWARDS

1969  Oireachtas Competition
  sponsored by the Gaelic League 
  First Place—Solo Accordion 
  First Place—Ceili Band (with Castle Ceili Band) 

1970  Oireachtas Competition
  First Place—Solo Accordion 

1970  Fleadh Cheoil (All-Ireland)
  sponsored by Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann 
  First Place—Trio with Joe Ryan, Micheál Ó hAlmhain 

1973  Oireachtas Competition
  First Place—Solo Accordion 

1975  Fleadh Cheoil (All-Ireland) 
  First Place—Senior Accordion Championship 

1977  Oireachtas Competition
  First Place—Solo Accordion 
  First Place—Duet with Joe Ryan

1989 - Present  Minnesota State Arts Board
  Selected for Minnesota Folk Artists Directory 

1989  Minnesota State Arts Board
  Master Artist—Folk Arts Apprenticeship Grant 

1993  Minnesota State Arts Board
  Master Artist—Folk Arts Apprenticeship Grant 

1994  National Endowment for the Arts
  Folk Arts Project Grant to record 500 reels and jigs for Paddy O'Brien Tune Collection

1996  Minnesota State Arts Board
  Master Artist—Folk Arts Apprenticeship Grant 

1998  Minnesota State Arts Board
  Master Artist—Folk Arts Apprenticeship Grant

2005  Irish Fair of Minnesota
   Legacy Fund Grant to begin recording 500 tunes for Paddy O'Brien Tune Collection, Volume Two

2006  Bush Artist Fellowship
   Folk Arts Fellowship

2008  Minnesota State Arts Board
   Artist Initiative Grant



PUBLICATIONS

Chosen to illustrate certain types of dance music for Folk Music and Dances of Ireland by Breandán Breathnach (Mercier Press), a work now on the course for second and third level colleges and schools in Ireland. Over twenty notations of Paddy O’Brien’s music also appear in Breandán Breathnach’s Ceol Rince na hEireann, Nos. 2 and 3, published by the government of Ireland. 

Published two poems, tributes to legendary musicians Seamus Ennis and Willie Clancy, in the 1993 edition of Dal gCais, The Journal of Clare, and the official program for the Willie Clancy Summer School. 



BANDS

1966-69 Ballinamere Céilí Band
with Peter Kilroe, Dan Cleary, Sean Monaghan, Sean Conlan, and Michael Lynam 

1968 Seán Ryan Trio
with Seán and Kathleen Ryan 

1969-78 Castle Céilí Band
with Michael O’Connor, John Kelly, Sean Keane, Michael Tubridy, Joe Ryan, John Dwyer, Bridie Lafferty and Benny Carey 

1971-78 Ceoltoiri Laighean
with Éamon de Buitléar, John Kelly, James Kelly, Paddy Glackin, Peter Phelan, Mary Bergin, Mícheál Ó hAlmhain, and Aileen McCrann 

1978-82 Bowhand
with James Kelly and Dáithí Sproule 
(also Terry O’Reilly and Bernie McDonald) 

1983-84 Hill 16
with Seán O’Driscoll and Tom Dahill 

1995-present Chulrua
with Patrick Ourceau and Pat Egan 
(previously with Tim Britton and Michael Cooney)

2003-present  The Doon Céilí Band
with Django Amerson, Nathan Gourley, Danielle Enblom, Laura MacKenzie, Brian Miller, Norah Rendell, Sherry Ladig (and previously with Kate and Jode Dowling,
Sean Egan)



RECORDINGS
 
YEAR
ARTISTS
TITLE
LABEL
1970 Castle Ceili Band Irish Pub Music Arfolk SB 314
1971 Castle Ceili Band Castle Ceili Band Comhaltas
1973 Ceoltoiri Laighean The Crooked Road Gael-Linn
1975 Ceoltoiri Laighean The Star of Munster Gael-Linn CEF.047
1978 Paddy O’Brien, James
Kelly, Daithi Sproule
Is It Yourself? Shanachie 29015
1982 Paddy O’Brien, James
Kelly, Daithi Sproule
Spring in the Air Shanachie 29018
1984 Hill 16 Hill 16 Meadowlark101
1988 Solo accordion Stranger at the Gate Green Linnet GLCD 1091
1988 Accordion anthology The Big Squeeze Green Linnet 9014 
1988 Peter Ostroushko Blue Mesa Red House - Guest artist
1988 Seán O'Driscoll Up the Airy Mountain
Green Linnet - Guest artist
1995 Solo Accordion Paddy O'Brien Tune Collection Library of Congress Card
Catalog Number 95-92420
1995 Kelly/O’Brien/Sproule Traditional Music of Ireland Shanachie 34014
1996 Concert anthology Gaelic Roots Festival 1995 Boston College
2000
Kelly/O'Brien/Sproule
Traditional Music of Ireland
(Is It Yourself? / Spring in the Air re-released as a single CD)
Shanachie 34014
2000 Chulrua Barefoot on the Altar Pied Piper PPP 301
2003 Chulrua Down the Back Lane Shanachie 22001
2004
Paddy O'Brien, Jamie
Gans, Daithi Sproule
Snug in the Blanket
Black Tea Tunes BTT012
2005
Accordion anthology
Minnesota All Stars
Rounder 82161-6110-2
2006
The Doon Céilí Band
Around the World for Sport
Shanachie 23001
2006
Chulrua
The Singing Kettle
Shanachie 23002






RADIO & TELEVISION APPEARANCES

Ireland


1964        Beirt Eile -
RTÉ
1967        Bring Down the Lamp - RTÉ
1969-71   Glen to Glen - UTV
1973-75   Ceoltoiri Laighean TV specials - RTÉ
               Comhaltas radio programs - RTÉ
               Bring Down the Lamp - RTÉ
               Raidió na Gaeltachta
1975        Ceili House - RTÉ
1977        Irish language radio play - RTÉ
1992        The Pure Drop - RTÉ
2004        The Late Session – RTÉ, Irish National Radio
2007        Lán a' Mhála, RTÉ / Raidió na Gaeltachta
2008        Special Fleadh Cheoil na h
Éireann programme, RTÉ

Europe


1973-75 Ceoltoiri Laighean - French National Television 

Ceoltoiri Laighean in concert - German National Television 

U.S.A.

1978  A Prairie Home Companion - Minnesota Public Radio 

1979  A Prairie Home Companion - National Public Radio 
1981  The Lark in the Morning - Missouri Public Radio 
1982  A Prairie Home Companion - National Public Radio 
1985  Banish Misfortune - Berkeley, California 
1985  A Prairie Home Companion - National Public Radio 
1986  Last Night's Fun - Fresh Air Radio, Minneapolis 
1988  The Mountain Stage - National Public Radio 
1989  SD Centennial Folk Festival - South Dakota Public Radio 
1992  On the Pig's Back - KUBN/Portland, Oregon 
1992  The Irish Hour - Saint Louis Community Radio 
1993  River City Folk - National Public Radio 
1994  Midmorning - Minnesota Public Radio 
1995  Midmorning - Minnesota Public Radio 
1995  All Things Considered - Minnesota Public Radio
2004  The Front Row - KUHF, Houston (TX) Public Radio
2004  Celtic Heartland – KZUM, Lincoln NE
2005  Century Song – KFAI, Minneapolis MN
2006  Mist Covered Mountain – Roseburg OR
2006  The Celtic Hour – KBOO Radio, Portland OR



SELECTED CONCERT APPEARANCES

(For additional tour history with Chulrua, see Chulrua website)

Trinity College, Dublin 
Focus Theatre, Dublin 
Peacock Theatre, Dublin 
Abbey Theatre, Dublin 
Damer Theatre, Dublin 
University College, Cork 
University College, Dublin 
University of Limerick, Limerick
Masters of Tradition Festival, Bantry, Cork
Cork Folk Festival, Cork City
Sean O’Riada Memorial Concert, Coolea, Cork 
Cork City Folk Festival, Cork 
Slattery’s Tradition Club, Dublin 
Green Linnet Folk Club, Dublin 
The Gaelic League Club, Dublin
The Cobblestone, Dublin 

Glór Traditional Music Centre, Ennis, Co Clare

L’Orient Folk Festival, L’Orient, France 
International Folk Festival, Cologne, Germany
International Festival of Traditional Arts, Quebec, CANADA
International Accordion Festival, Houston, TX

U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 
The Kennedy Center, Washington, DC

Snug Harbor Irish Festival, Staten Island, NY 
Philadelphia Ceili Festival, Philadelphia, PA 
Wolf Trap Irish Festival, Washington, DC 
Milwaukee Irish Fest, Milwaukee, WI 
Irish Fair of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 
South Dakota Centennial Folk Festival, Sioux Falls, SD 
San Antonio Irish Feis, San Antonio, TX 
North Texas Irish Festival, Austin, TX 
Smoky Hill River Festival, Salina, KS 
Minnesota Ethnic Days, Chisholm, MN 
Cincinnati Celtic Festival, Cincinnati, OH 
Gaelic Roots Festival, Boston, MA 
Saint Mary’s Basilica IrishFest, Minneapolis, MN 
Kentuck Festival of the Arts, Tuscaloosa, AL 
Bill Healy Foundation Celtic Music Fest, Portland, OR 
Mill City Music Festival, Minneapolis, MN 
Minnesota Folk, Saint Paul, MN 
Powderhorn Festival of the Arts, Minneapolis, MN 
Chautauqua on the River, Saint Paul, MN 
Sebastopol Celtic Folk Festival, Sebastopol, CA
Houston International Fetsival, Houston, TX
Southern Illinois Festival of Irish Music & Dance, Carbondale, IL

Willie Clancy Summer School, Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare 
Irish Week by the Sea, Queen's County, Nova Scotia 
The Swannanoa Gathering, Asheville, NC 
Center for Popular Music, Murfreesboro, TN 
Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, IL 
Saint Olaf College, Northfield, MN 
Creighton University, Omaha, NE 
Libertyville School of Music, Libertyville, IL 
Cornell College, Mount Vernon, IA 
Loras College, Dubuque, IA
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
Goderich Celtic College, Goderich Ontario
Blue Ridge Irish Music School, Harpers Ferry, WV
Center for Irish Music, Saint Paul, MN

Ancient Order of Hibernians, Grand Rapids, MI 
Ancient Order of Hibernians, Dayton, OH 
Rose and Thistle Folk Club, Greensboro, NC 
Gaelic League Club, Detroit
Elkins Country Dance Society, Elkins, WV 
Tri-State Folk Music Assn, Fort Wayne, IN 
Second Fret Folk Club, Oklahoma City, OK 
Irish Heritage Cultural Center, Chicago, IL 
Cityfolk, Dayton, OH 
The Main Point, Philadelphia, PA 
The Focal Point, Saint Louis, MO 
The Foolkiller, Kansas City, MO 
The Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis, MN 
The Ark, Ann Arbor, MI 
Charlotte’s Web, Rockford, IL 
Wild Hog in the Woods Coffeehouse, Madison, WI 
Bunky’s, Madison, WI 
Club de Wash, Madison, WI 
United Irish Cultural Institute, San Francisco, CA 
University of Iowa Friends of Old Time Music, Iowa City, IA 
Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, Boston 
Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, Glasgow 
Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, London 

John D. McGurk’s, Saint Louis, MO 
The Eagle Tavern, New York, NY 
Holstein’s, Chicago, IL 
The Plough and the Stars, San Francisco, CA 
Tommy Makem’s Irish Pavilion, New York, NY 
Kelly’s Irish Times, Washington, D.C. 
The Dubliner, Washington, D.C. 
Keneally’s Irish Bar, Houston, TX 
Harling’s, Kansas City, MO 
The Kells, Portland, OR 
Kells Irish Bar, Seattle, WA 
Hap’s Bar, Cincinnati, OH 
Old Irish Alehouse, Boston, MA 
MacCafferty’s Irish Bar, Saint Paul, MN 
Kilkenny Castle, Chicago, IL 
Dublin Pub, Portland, OR 
East Avenue Tavern, Portland, OR 
The Mill, Iowa City, IA 
The Sanctuary, Iowa City, IA 
The Canal Street Tavern, Dayton, OH 
Godfrey Daniels, Bethlehem, PA 
The Irish Lion, Bloomington, IN 
Brittingham’s, Philadelphia, PA 
Murphy’s Pub, Seattle, WA 
Ireland’s Four Provinces, Washington, D.C. 
The Blarney Stone, Saint Louis, MO 
Arnold’s Bar, Cincinnati, OH 
The Parting Glass, Saratoga Springs, NY 
County Cork Pub, Atlanta, GA
 

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