Joseph Mannion, Jack Fitzpatrick, Mark Tomany and Ryan Sheridan

Joseph Mannion is an accordion player from Colligan, Co. Waterford. Joseph is a multi-instrumentalist playing Accordion, Melodeon and Bodhran. He is the accordion player in the well-known All-Ireland Senior Céilí Band ‘Taobh na Mara’. He has been playing music from a very young age and is highly sought after, he enjoys teaching music and playing at various festivals around the country. Joseph was All Ireland Senior Melodeon champion in 2023. He is also known for his craftmanship and was awarded ‘Foroige NFTE Young Entrepreneur of the Year’ in 2020. His business ‘JM Woodwork and Personalised Engravings’ shows his love for music and woodwork.

Jack Fitzpatrick is an up and coming banjo player from Donadea, Co. Kildare. Jack has a great interest in 78rpm recordings of music from the 1920’s and is also an enthusiast of American banjos made during that time such as the Epiphone Recording Banjos. Jack is currently studying Accounting and Quantitative Finance in Maynooth University.

Mark Tomany is a flute player hailing from Tullycorbet in County Monaghan. Mark is a final year pharmacy student studying at Ulster University Coleraine. Mark first started off playing the Tin Whistle at the age of five then progressing to the flute at age ten under the guidance of Seamus Tierney from County Cavan. Mark enjoys attending and playing at various music festivals throughout Ireland.

 

Multi-instrumentalist Ryan Sheridan is button accordionist, Sean-nós dancer, pianist, drummer and bodhran player from Lavally, Co. Sligo, a place steeped in Irish traditional music. From a young age, Ryan always had an interest in the button accordion, which led him to start lessons with Daithí Gormley at age 11 for a few years. He very quickly took interest in older box legends throughout his teenage years, and legends of other instruments. Ryan took interest in listening to different styles of players such as Joe Burke, Finbarr Dwyer, John Bowe, Joe Derrane, P.J. Conlon, Martin McMahon, John Regan, Tony MacMahon and his grandfather David Sheridan, who played in the old C#D style. Ryan also saw the importance of listening to people such as Michael Coleman, James Morrison, Paddy Killoran, The Flanagan Brothers, Lad O’Beirne, John Joe Gardiner, Seamus Tansey, Josie McDermott and Peter Horan. Through listening to public and private recordings, Ryan ended up being mainly influenced by Sligo’s fiddle and flute music. In 2019 during the covid pandemic, Ryan took great interest in messing around on the piano. He started off on a strong note as he knew what he wanted to hear when it came to accompaniment. Ryan is inspired by masters of the instrument such as Charlie Lennon, Josephine Keegan, Helen Kisiel, Brian McGrath, Fr Seamus Quinn, Catherine McHugh and Paddy McEvoy.