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O’Brien-Moran, Jimmy. (1957-). Uilleann pipes, saxophone. Born at Tramore, Co. Waterford, his interest in Irish music, and piping especially, was awakened through Planxty, whose sleeve notes prompted his listening to Séamus Ennis and Willie Clancy. At age seventeen he began playing on a Matt Kiernan chanter and homemade bag and bellows. Lessons from Tommy Kearney, tips from Donncha Ó Maidín and Pat Mitchell’s classes at the Willie Clancy Summer School in 1975 and 1976, at Liam O’Flynn’s in 1977, all developed his playing, placing him on The Piper’s Rock showcase album of young pipers in 1977. He played pipes, whistle and saxophone with Scullion 1979–80 and also played saxophone in a ten-piece dance band for several years. Having worked in the jewellery trade for a number of years he took a music degree in 1992 and now lectures at WIT. His PhD research at UL concerned Galway piper Paddy Conneely; he was Fulbright visiting professor at Boston College in 2008. He plays a pre-1825 Colgan B set, this ‘loaned for life’ by the late Seán Reid. He played at the Sense of Ireland festival in London in 1980 and at the French 1996 l’Imaginaire Irlandais festival, has toured Europe, and USA and New Zealand. He gives workshops, lectures and writes in the field of piping. His solo cd entitled Seán Reid’s Favourite was released in 1996.

Mick O'Connor is is a well-known flute player, researcher and leader of the Castle Céilí Band.

Born Kill, Co. Kildare. His father, also Liam, plays fiddle; his mother, Maisie Scanlan, had links to Co. Clare music through her cousin, Junior Crehan. He was introduced to uilleann pipes by Garda Tom Armstrong who had won prizes at Oireachtas and Fleadh Cheoil in his early teens. O’Flynn studied initially under Leo Rowsome, and later was influenced by Willie Clancy and Séamus Ennis (who bequeathed his pipes to him). A solidly traditional player, he has also been involved in many imaginative projects. He was a founder member of Planxty in 1972, with Christy Moore, Dónal Lunny and Andy Irvine, and played on all their recordings. In 1980 he recorded The Brendan Voyage, a work for solo uilleann pipes and orchestra, written by Shaun Davey. He also worked with Davey on Granuaile, The Relief of Derry Symphony and The Pilgrim. His fi lm score credits include collaborations with Mark Knopfl er and Elmer Bernstein. He has appeared and recorded with John Cage, and with popular musicians Kate Bush, Enya and The Everley Brothers, and has also performed with Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney. He took part in the first concert of Irish music to take place in the BBC Proms at the Albert Hall in London in 1999, played in Celtique Nuit at Stade de France in Paris and Shaun Davey’s Dublin Special Olympics performance in 2003. Among his c. 50 recordings are The Poet and the Piper (2003, with Seamus Heaney) and Voices from the Merry Cemetery (2009, with Davey, Rita Connolly and Seán Keane and others). In 2004 he was part of the Planxty regrouping, and in 2007 he was awarded TG4’s Gradam Ceoil.