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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.

Boyle, Finbar. (1951– ). Singer, commentator. From Dundalk, Co. Louth, as a teenager, hearing The Dubliners germinated his interest in traditional singing, and local sessions in Mark’s Bar gave him a contiguous, supportive resource and platform. He taught for four years following college at St Patrick’s, Drumcondra, then worked with Dublin City Libraries prior to joining the Department of Folklore in UCD where he spent ten years. He became involved with the Tradition Club at Slattery’s, Dublin, c.1971 performing there regularly himself, and was one of the organisers of the Dublin Folk Festival in the later ’70s. He wrote reviews, critiques and commentaries on traditional music for In Dublin magazine over several years and researched music for RTÉ’s Sunday Folk radio show. Highly regarded for his detailed familiarity with all traditional musics, he programmed the Temple Bar Trad Festival from 2006 to 2008.