After the recent discussion on Flute Players , we had a discussion last night on the top 5 female trad fiddle players.
In no particular order , but Mairead was top in everyones book)
Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh (Altan)
Winnie Horn (Solas)
Dee Armstrong (Kila)
Niamh Dunne (Beoga)
Zoe Comway (Ex Riverdance)
Anybody agree ?
At the Fleadh’s any of these Girls with you in a session,
who needed the Guy’s - lol..
jim,,,
Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4OAkUN-m3A&feature=related
Eilish O’Connor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD1eqDIQvz8
Tara Bingham-Left hand flute player here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbmggMOedm0
Derdrie Shannon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc97M8gNlVs
Deirdre Havlin-Left hand flute player here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQnz1SlUsJc
For me:
Athena Tergis
Liz Kane
Yvonne Kane
Zoe Conway
Josephine Keegan
Silly fool missing off Liz Carroll and Nolliag Casey
No Eileen Ivers?
Or Liz Doherty, I think she’s a fine fiddler.
There are so many. How can you limit it to just 5? Now if you were to make it top 5 women who could successfully explain the off-side rule then that is another matter altogether….
…and how about past and present? Lucy Farr? Julia Clifford?
Julia Clifford, Aggie Whyte, Ellen Galvin, Aíne O Connell, Bernadette McCarthy, Breda Keville, Joan Hanrahan, Siobhan Peoples, Leah Kelly. Plenty to pick from.
I don’t know about top 5 (I think that’s a silly notion), but some wonderful players not mentioned yet:
Breda Keville
Orla Harrington
Eileen O’Brien
Maeve Donnelly
Rose Flanagan
Maeve Flanagan
Yvonne Casey
Siobhan Peoples
Tara Breen
Bernadette Nic Gabhann
Amy McNamara
Sorcha Costelloe
Tina Lech
Dana Lyn
Laurel Martin
Joan Hanarahan
Anne-Marie McCormack
Carmel O’Dea
Meabh Boyd
Meabh O’Hare
Kira Ott
and on and on and on
Silly fool he who thinks his taste is the best.
There are so many, it’s impossible to pick five and be ok with that.
Wot no Bríd Harper?
Swiffle, I’ll include Eileen Ivers. She is a very good trad fiddler.
It’s just wonderful to see such a long list! Wasn’t always that way. Go, girls! I add Liz Knowles.
no “top,” just some i really like……..
cait reed (currently in colorado)
kathleen collins (sligo-meets-east galway, new york)
veronica mcnamara (sligo style, new jersey)
terese mckinerney (miltown malbay)
laura beogan (co. monaghan)
breda keville (galway)
yvonne casey (no. clare?)
patricia clark (clare)
eileen o’brien (galway)
oh, was this not limited to the living? divas RIP count as well?
lucy farr, lucy farr, lucy farr…..perhaps my favorite, period, along with….nell galvin, nell galvin, nell galvin…..
aggie whyte
julia clifford
For me it’s:
Maeve Donnelly
Kathleen Collins
Breda Keville
Julia Clifford
Yvonne Kane
Liz Kane
Zoe Conway
& Siobhan Peoples
No Cause For Alarm -- Off-side Rule…
Watch ! Your getting into a Grey area there -lol…
jim,,,
Brenda McCann from Fermanagh has some lovely CDs and I met a young lady at Feakle in 2007, playing with Seamus Bugler, she played a lovely set of F Reels, I think her name was Nuala O’Brien, also from Ulster. In Melbourne I always enjoy playing with Nicola Strating and Beth McCracken is also good value. And to make up 5 I had some great tunes with Yvonne Casey last time I was in Ireland.
Miriam Kavana. Just thought I’d mention her.
Liz Carroll!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Martin Hayes
Nollag Casey
Maeve O Hare
Winnie Horan
Sorry Martin, but you should be included in a list of top 5 ‘anything’ fiddlers.
You do have very long hair anyway!
Veddy silly indeed top 5 but here’s some I know and like…
Liz Carroll
Brid Harper
Siobhan Peoples
Kathleen Collins
Tara Breen
Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh
Liz Kane
Yvonne Kane
Yvonne Casey
Julie Langan
Claire Mann
Athena Turgis
Claire Keville
Mayo Yanachi
Tina Lech
Darcy Noonan
Maeve Donnelly
Kira Ott
Julie Clifford
Meabh Toland
and of course Francisca Gavinette
And so many others who don’t get out enough!
Tough list to fill. Several at a level that comparisons don’t really do justice.
I agree on keeping the US’s officially designated national treasure (The designation somehow puts her on par with some of our historic monuments- strange) and fellow Chicago kid Liz Carroll
Only 5? Here’s my favorites!!
Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh
Eileen Ivers
Liz Carroll
Zoe Conway
Liz Doherty
Roisin Dillon!
but why is it top FEMALE fiddle players?! surely it should just be top favourite fiddle players? all the same category, no?
Mary Custy!
Mary Custy!
Mary Custy!
Mary Custy!
And Máiréad Ní Mhaoinaigh 🙂
I agree wholeheartedly with Jason Van Steenwyk: Roisin Dillon is the best I’ve ever heard.
