Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh

She is the best fiddler ever… great power, lilt and dynamics. When you throw in her singing and arranging, she may be the best trad. musician in the world.

You should make her a trophy.

Ah yes, the Altan lady.
Personally i think Paul O’Shaughnessy (ex-altan) was just as good though i have seen him in a session and not Mairéad.

My personal preference as far as a Donegal sound goes would be Brid harper.

+1 to ‘You should make her a trophy.’ Imagine how mad that would be, going to a session and giving her a trophy! haha 🙂

Perhaps there should be a spelling trophy at fleadhs. A list of musicians’ names like MNM’s could be read out, and the first to hand in a correctly spelt written list gets the trophy.

(Spelt? Spelled?…!)

Well, personally, I’d give the fiddle trophy to Maire Breatnach. No-one else can get that amazing sweetness of tone out of a fiddle.

Sure, ok… right… but who’s your favoite?

My favoite? Ooh … that’s a tough-y …

r

Shmart arse! hahaha

Why thank you!

You are, of course, quite right. My arse really is quite smart.

🙂

Mine isn’t evidentially… my wife keeps calling me a "dumb arse."

… and you have evidence to prove it?

(tee hee)

But we don’t need to see it, please. 🙂 Aye, Mairead’s great, right enough, but how many times do we need to say, there is no "best", only "favourite".

She’s my favorite… my post came out of the Michael McGoldrick discussion sort of as a joke…. I don’t believe in absolute BESTS, but she’s definitely my pick for what I like. Maybe I will make her a trophy!

I am not qualified to decide on superior fiddle playing, but Mairead is one of the nicest people I know.

Red Crow… She is superior. I like it when people give trad. music the respect it deserves. That’s why I respect her alot also.

I think she has a real gift for communicating her joy in the music- when she plays she lights up like a lamp. She makes me happy just watching her play.

She’s a great musician. So are a lot of other people.

Thanks, Dow.

You’re welcome, Bliss.

Hugs all around!