Name: The Pure Drop - Traditional Irish Music Series ft: Pádraig Rynne and Mícheál Ó Raghallaigh
Start: 2026-04-10T20:00:00+01:00
Location: Seamus Ennis Arts Centre, Naul, Ireland Co. Dublin

$The Pure Drop - Traditional Irish Music Series ft: P\u00e1draig Rynne and M\u00edche\u00e1l \u00d3 Raghallaigh$

Pádraig Rynne and Mícheál Ó Raghallaigh are two of Ireland’s most distinctive and influential concertina players, bringing together deep-rooted tradition and expansive contemporary vision in a compelling duet collaboration.

Hailing from the rich musical landscape of County Clare, Pádraig Rynne is renowned as a concertina player, composer, and producer who consistently pushes the boundaries of Irish traditional music. A prodigious talent, he won five All-Ireland concertina titles by the age of 17 before forging an international career marked by innovation and collaboration. As a founding member of forward-thinking projects including Cian, Guidewires, Breen | Rynne | Murray, and NOTIFY, Rynne has seamlessly woven elements of jazz, electronic, and world music into the traditional idiom. His solo releases Bye a While, Conscious, and Begin with the End in Mind reflect a distinctive compositional voice and a restless creative curiosity. Beyond performance, his work as Music Development Officer with Music Generation Clare has seen him establish the world’s first concertina orchestra, championing the instrument’s future.

From County Meath, Mícheál Ó Raghallaigh is celebrated for his refined technique, expressive depth, and lifelong dedication to traditional music. Raised in a musical family, he has built a significant career as a performer, recording artist, and educator. His solo album The Nervous Man and collaborations such as Comb Your Hair and Curl It with Catherine McEvoy and Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh highlight his nuanced, articulate style. A member of Providence, the Táin and Naomh Pádraig Céilí Bands, and a regular tutor at well known national and international festivals, Ó Raghallaigh is also a key figure in concertina pedagogy. His collaborative work includes the Irish Concertina Ensemble (ICE), whose album Zero brought together leading voices of the instrument.

Together, Rynne and Ó Raghallaigh create a rare and dynamic dialogue on the concertina — one that honours tradition while embracing exploration, intimacy, and shared musical imagination.