Paul O'Shaughnessy (born 9 June 1961 in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

, Ireland) is an Irish fiddler, former member of

Irish folk music Irish traditional music (also known as Irish trad, Irish folk music, and other variants) is a genre of folk music that developed in Ireland. In ''A History of Irish Music'' (1905), W. H. Grattan Flood wrote that, in Gaelic Ireland, there we ...

bands Altan and Beginish. Also a whistle and flute player and an occasional composer, Paul has been playing fiddle since his childhood, and has long been recognised as a leading traditional musician in the city of Dublin.

Background and career

Paul O'Shaughnessy comes from Artane on the north side of Dublin city. He spent much of his youth in

Donegal Donegal may refer to: County Donegal, Ireland * County Donegal, a county in the Republic of Ireland, part of the province of Ulster * Donegal (town), a town in County Donegal in Ulster, Ireland * Donegal Bay, an inlet in the northwest of Ireland b ...

where he developed a love and talent for fiddle playing, learning at first not only from his mother, Pearl McBride (a fiddle player from a musical Donegal family) but also from the playing of

Cavan Cavan ( ; ) is the county town of County Cavan in Ireland. The town lies in Ulster, near the border with County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. The town is bypassed by the main N3 road that links Dublin (to the south) with Enniskillen, Bal ...

fiddle player Antóin Mac Gabhann and from John Doherty. He was also influenced by

Sligo Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the largest urban ce ...

flute player John Egan. He was one of a number of outstanding contemporary players who were members of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann branches in the area, his playing partner whistle player Denis O'Brien among them. In later years, he spent time in Donegal, learning from source-players such as Con Cassidy and the Campbell family. Paul has been appearing on Irish radio and television since the late 1970s, but became more widely known in the 1990s as a member of the Donegal-based group Altan (1988–92) (after he had met and played with founding members Frankie Kennedy &

Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh (; born 26 July 1959) is an Irish fiddle, Irish fiddler and the lead vocalist for the Folk music of Ireland, Irish folk music band Altan (band), Altan, which she co-founded with her late husband Frankie Kennedy in 1987. To ...

) and as a member of the Dublin-based group Beginish (late 1990s–early 2000s), two Irish folk music bands with whom he toured throughout the world. Paul O'Shaughnessy is to be heard on their recordings and on a wide variety of others, including his solo album ''Stay Another While'' (POSCD 0001), and his duet albums with two flute players: ''Within a Mile of Dublin'' (SPINCD1000) with Paul McGrattan and ''Born for Sport'' with Harry Bradley (BFS001). He has also completed a doctorate in Irish-language dialect studies. For the first time in 12 years, Beginish (including Paul O'Shaughnessy) regrouped together for some concerts throughout 2013.

Discography

With Altan

*1989 ''

Horse with a Heart ''Horse with a Heart'' is the first studio album by Altan, released in May 1989 on the Green Linnet Records label. Track listing All titles arranged by Altan. # "The Curlew/McDermott's/Three Scones of Boxty/Unnamed Reel " – 4:11 # "The Las ...

'' *1990 ''

The Red Crow ''The Red Crow'' is the second studio album by Altan, released in November 1990 on the Green Linnet Records label. The title track, written by Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh also features on her 2008 début album, '' Imeall''. Critical reception ''Th ...

'' *1992 ''

Harvest Storm ''Harvest Storm'' is the third studio album by Altan, released in April 1992 on the Green Linnet label. Track listing All titles arranged by Altan. # "Pretty Peg/New Ships A-Sailing/The Bird's Nest/The Man From Bundoran" (reels) – 3:37 # ...

With Beginish

*1998 ''Beginish'' *2001 ''Stormy Weather''

Solo albums

*2000 ''Stay Another While'' (Claddagh Records – POS0001; 14 tracks featuring Frankie Lane on guitar, mandolin, dobro & bass) *2016 ''The Friendly Visit – An Céilí'' (Claddagh Records – POS0002; 14 tracks featuring Garry O'Briain, Eoin O'Neill and fiddlers Pearl and Kate O'Shaughnessy (respectively Paul O'Shaughnessy's mother and daughter))

Duet albums

;Paul O'Shaughnessy & Harry Bradley *2005 ''Born for Sport'' (Own label – BFS001; duet album with flute player Harry Bradley; also featuring John Blake (bouzouki)) ;Paul O'Shaughnessy & Paul McGrattan *2013 ''Within a Mile of Dublin'' (Faetain Records – SPINCD1000; duet album with flute player Paul McGrattan; also featuring Seánie McPhail (guitar), Noel O'Grady (bouzouki), Colm Murphy (bodhrán))

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:OShaughnessy, Paul Irish fiddlers 1961 births Living people Altan (band) members 21st-century violinists Claddagh Records artists