Quick Facts
Biography
Maeve Donnelly is one of the top Irish traditional fiddle players known for her unique style within the traditional Irish music genre.
Life and education
Donnelly was born near Kylemore Abbey in Loughrea in East Galway, Ireland. She now lives in Quin, County Clare . She has been playing music since she was a child and won her first All-Ireland Fiddle Competition when she was nine despite her parents not being musicians. However her family has developed a musical tradition with her three brothers playing the accordion, banjo, and fiddle.
Donnelly toured the US for the 1976 Bicentennial celebration, and again in 1978 and 1983. She went on to win two more All-Ireland fiddle titles in the 1970s and the National Slogadh Competition for Solo Fiddle and The Stone Fiddle Competition in County Fermanagh in 1981.
Donnelly went to college in Dublin and when she graduated she moved to live in Clare. She works touring, recording and tutoring when she isn't working as a teacher.
Works
- Sailing into Walpole's Marsh with Mairéad Ní Domhnaill, Sean Corcoran, Eddie Clarke, Maeve Donnelly. - 1976
- Thing Itself by Maeve Donnelly, Peadar O'Loughlin
- Moving Cloud by Paul Brock, Manus McGuire, Kevin Crawford, Carl Hession, Maeve Donnelly - 1995
- Foxglove by Moving Cloud - 1998
- Her Infinte Variety - Celtic Women - Compilation album.
- Éigse Dhiarmuidín - Live recordings in concert.
- Maeve Donnelly
- Maeve Donnelly: Flame On The Banks