
Dermot Byrne & Steve Cooney - Live at McGrory's
Dermot Byrne hails from the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal, the most northerly part of Ireland. He began playing the accordion at the young age of four. A child prodigy, he learned from some of the greatest Donegal fiddlers, including Johnny Doherty, Con Cassidy, James Byrne, Tommy Peoples, Francie Mooney, The Campbells, and Dinny McLaughlin. Over the years, Dermot has recorded and performed with artists such as Dolly Parton, John Prine, Stéphane Grappelli, Vince Gill, Phil Coulter, The Stunning, Salsa Celtica, Brendan Quinn, Frankie Lane, Mary Black, Tim O'Brien, Alison Krauss, and Paul Brady.
Throughout his extensive career, Dermot has developed a distinctive style. His playing appears effortless, blending subtlety and impeccable ear for music, making him one of the leading accordionists of his generation. While he is a master of the Donegal style and repertoire, he also comfortably explores other genres, including French musette and South American music.
In 2013, Dermot received the prestigious TG4 award for musician of the year. His most recent recordings are with Yvonne Casey (ASWE FEEL IT)2021 and With Steve Cooney (The Donegal melodeon)2022, Dermot has also recently played on the sound track for a new movie (4 letters of love) featuring Peirce Brosnan, (James Bond) Gabriel Byrne (Into the west) and Helena Bonham (Harry Potter) to be released in 2024.
Steve Cooney is renowned for pioneering an influential style of guitar accompaniment to West Kerry's traditional dance music, earning the National Entertainment Award in 1997. Born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1953, he moved to Ireland in 1980 and maintains strong ties with Aboriginal culture, into which he was initiated. With ancestral roots in Tipperary, Cavan, and Galway, Steve has contributed to more than 250 albums as a musician, producer, or engineer. A poet and songwriter as well, he has collaborated with numerous international artists across rock and country genres. His primary focus remains Irish traditional music and its fusion genres.
In 2020, Steve released "Ceol Ársa Cláirsí," a collection of solo guitar interpretations of ancient harp melodies, which won three awards at the RTÉ Folk Awards and was named Irish Times Traditional Album of the Year. He was also honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award from RTÉ. In addition, he completed an M.Litt.Ed in 2011 and a Ph.D. in 2018, developing an intuitive musical notation system designed for early learners and those with difficulties with staff notation.
‘Master Cooney restores the ancient link between lyre and lyric, between poetry and performance, the rhapsody and rascality’ _ Seamus Heaney
Tickets
Additional Information
Mc Gonagle Bus, Buncrana, will be operating a coach to and from McGrory's. Please call Luke Ruddy on +353 87 114 9939 to book your place