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Ardvarna Traditional Irish Music & Song |
 Band members Pat Conneely- guitar & vocals. Gerry D'Arcy- banjo, mandolin, mandola, guitar & vocals. Denis Geoghegan- accordion. "Ardvarna" translated from the Gaelic "Árd Bhearna" meaning High Gap. Ardvarna is an area opposite Lemonfield as one approaches Oughterard from the Galway direction. Two members of the group Gerry D'Arcy and Pat Conneely grew up in this area listening to the music of local musicians. Brothers Matt and Pete Conneely were fiddle players, Paddy Geoghegan, a great singer and songwriter all lived in Lemonfield. House sessions were regular with Patrick Roland, banjo, Jack Kinneavy and Bernie Walsh, fiddles, and John Darcy on flute. Another interested listener in his early years with Gerry and Pat was singer/ guitarist Gerry Joyce, also from Lemonfield. Both families of Pat Conneely and Gerry D' Arcy have strong music traditions of singing, dancing and playing music. The third member of the group is Denis Geoghegan who comes from Glengowla, on the Connemara side of Oughterard. He also comes form a strong musical family. His father, Josie, was a carpenter by trade and his pastime was spent as a fiddle maker. Two of those fiddles are now being played by Denis. His first introduction to traditional music was from local national school teacher Mary Kyne on the tin whistle and later music teacher Cepta Byrne on the accordian. He is greatly indebted to both teachers. | |
For audio samples of selected songs, click on links beside song title.Your own player should then launch. Press play on player. Best played on Windows Media Player. Click here to download. |
Mayfly Days- Ardvarna
1. Morrisons Jig/ Cooley's click for sample |
CD ordering information- coming soon! | |