Tommy Peoples (20 September 1948 – 4 August 2018) was an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...

r who played in the Donegal fiddle tradition.

Biography

Peoples was born near St. Johnston,

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconne ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. He was a member of traditional Irish music groups, including

The Bothy Band The Bothy Band were an Irish traditional band active during the mid 1970s. They quickly gained a reputation as one of the most influential bands playing Irish traditional music. Their enthusiasm and musical virtuosity had a significant influen ...

as well as performing solo from the late 1960s. He played in the fiddle style of East Donegal. After moving to

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

in the 1960s, where he was employed as a Garda (member of the Irish police force), he subsequently moved to

County Clare County Clare ( ga, Contae an Chláir) is a county in Ireland, in the Southern Region and the province of Munster, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council is the local authority. The county had a population of 118,817 ...

and married Mary Linnane (daughter of Kitty Linnane, long-time leader of the Kilfenora Céilí Band). The family lived in St Johnston. His daughter, Siobhán Peoples, is also a fiddler. Peoples was the Traditional Musician In Residence at The Balor Arts Centre,

Ballybofey Ballybofey ( , ; ) is a town located on the south bank of the River Finn, County Donegal, Ireland. Together with the smaller town of Stranorlar on the north side of the River Finn, the towns form the Twin Towns of Ballybofey-Stranorlar. Ba ...

, County Donegal. In July 2015, he launched a self-published book, ''Ó Am go hAm - From Time to Time''. The book combines a fiddle tutor by Peoples, along with illustrations and a complete notation of 130 original tunes by Peoples. The book also includes many stories and incidents from his life and musical career. He died on 4 August 2018, aged 70.Renowned Donegal fiddler Tommy Peoples dies aged 70
rte.ie; accessed 15 July 2020.

Discography

With The Bothy Band

* ''

'' (1975)

Solo

* ''An Exciting Session with One of Ireland's Leading Traditional Fiddlers'' (1976) * ''The High Part of the Road'' (1976) ccompanied_by_Paul_Brady.html" ;"title="Paul_Brady.html" ;"title="ccompanied by Paul Brady">ccompanied by Paul Brady">Paul_Brady.html" ;"title="ccompanied by Paul Brady">ccompanied by Paul Brady/small> * ''A Traditional Experience with Tommy Peoples: A Master Irish Traditional Fiddle Player'' (1976) * ''The Iron Man'' (1985) [accompanied by Dáithí Sproule] * ''Fiddler's Fancy: Fifty Irish Fiddle Tunes Collected and Performed by the Irish Fiddle Legend'' (1986) [accompanied by Manus Lunny] * ''Traditional Irish Music Played on the Fiddle'' (released in 1993, but recorded in 1982) * ''The Quiet Glen/An Gleann Ciuin'' (1998) ccompanied by Alph Duggan/small> * ''Waiting for a Call'' (2003)

With Matt Molloy and Paul Brady

* ''

Matt Molloy Matt Molloy (born 12 January 1947) is an Irish musician, from a region known for producing talented flautists. As a child, he began playing the flute and won the All-Ireland Flute Championship at nineteen. Considered one of the most brilliant ...

Paul Brady Paul Joseph Brady (born 19 May 1947) is an Irish singer-songwriter and musician from Strabane, Northern Ireland. His work straddles folk and pop. He was interested in a wide variety of music from an early age. Initially popular for playing ...

. Tommy Peoples'' (1977)

With Paul Brady

* ''Welcome Here Kind Stranger'' (1978; remastered on CD in 2009) eoples plays on four tracks/small>

References

External links

Tommy Peoples's web site

Bibliography

* Sarah Lifton (1983)
The Listener's Guide to Folk Music, p. 74
', . * Harry Long (2005) ''The Waltons Guide to Irish Music, p. 309-10'', . * Neal Walters &

Brian Mansfield Brian Mansfield (born September 24, 1963) is an American writer and journalist. Early life and education Mansfield grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. He graduated from David Lipscomb High School. In 1984, Mansfield received a bachelor's degre ...

(ed.) (1998)
MusicHound Folk: The Essential Album Guide, p. 623-5
', (the source of his birth date). 1948 births 2018 deaths Garda Síochána officers Irish fiddlers Musicians from County Donegal The Bothy Band members {{Ireland-musician-stub