Online Registration for next year’s Workshops will be open in Spring 2027 , link on Home Page.
In Person Registration Mon 12th July at St Brigid’s Hall from 8.30 am.
Our Fiddle Workshops cater for all levels from Improver to Advanced, with a special emphasis on the Sligo fiddle style for the more advanced students.
We are fortunate to have a wonderful team of fiddle tutors, all of whom have many years teaching experience and are without exception, highly regarded as fiddle players each in their own right.
In recent years we have had tutors of the calibre of Declan Folan, Oisín Mac Diarmada, Manus McGuire, Caoimhe Kearins, David Doocey & Jason McGuinness teach our Fiddle Workshops.
For many years the great Roscommon music teacher and fiddle player steeped in the North Connacht tradition, Paddy Ryan, taught Sligo style fiddle at our Summer School, sharing his vast store of knowledge with enthusiastic fiddle students from near and far.
We are delighted that Paddy has been in attendance at our Official Opening on every occasion over the past few years, most recently in July 2025 and he enjoyed meeting up with old friends and having a look around St Brigid’s Hall.
Many others have also taught fiddle at the South Sligo Summer School down the years. The late Joe O’Dowd and his wife Sheila O’Dowd, née Regan, were the first fiddle teachers at the inaugural Summer School in 1987 and their son Seamie, who has since gone on to being our anchor Traditional Guitar tutor at the School, taught fiddle also in those early years.
Fiddle (Intermediate) w/ Caoimhe Kearins
Caoimhe Kearins hails from Collooney, outside the town of Ballymote, Co. Sligo. She is the third generation of a family steeped in traditional music & song and is a Senior All Ireland fiddle, singing and lilting champion. In 2017 she won the prestigious Senior Fiddler of Dooney title. Caoimhe has previously taught traditional singing & lilting as well as ‘Feadóg Stain trí Ghaeilge’ at the summer school here in Tubbercurry. She has tutored at several other festivals and summer schools in recent years and she brings a rich store of skill, a deep understanding of the tradition and experience to her teaching.
Fiddle (Advanced - Sligo Style) w/ Oisín Mac Diarmada
Based in Coolaney, Co. Sligo, Oisin is a graduate in Music Education from Trinity College Dublin and founder of the internationally-renowned group Téada in 2001. Director of SCT, the traditional Irish music examination system administered by Comhaltas, Oisín recently co-authored ‘Fiddlers of Sligo Tunebook’ along with fellow-Sligo musician, Daithí Gormley.
Fiddle (Intermediate) w/ Jason McGuinness
Jason McGuinness from Dromore West, Co. Sligo is a secondary school teacher who graduated from Maynooth University having completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music, Geography and History, and most recently obtained a Professional Master of Education.
Jason was the first Sligo fiddler since 1970 to win the Fiddler of Dooney competition in 2016 and holds the current Ed Reavy International Senior Fiddler title. He has performed on the Comhaltas tours of Ireland, Britain, and Canada in 2011-2012, toured Germany and France
In 2020 and completed the Comhaltas TTCT teaching diploma course. He has won many music awards in county, provincial and All-Ireland fleadheanna most recently winning the All-Ireland senior Fiddle Fleadhfest in 2021, All Ireland Senior Slow Airs titles in 2019 and U18, All-Ireland Senior Drums title in 2015, U18 senior duet in 2019, (with his brother Damien on Button Accordion) as well as senior grupa cheoil in 2019 and All-Ireland Ceili Band U18 céilí band title. He is a winner of Siansa Gael Linn with his group ‘Teaspach’.
From a young age, Jason showed a keen interest in researching and collecting recordings and archival material of Irish Traditional musicians. He has a passion for the Sligo style and has extensive knowledge relating to tunes history and céilí bands throughout the decades. Jason now follows in their footsteps passing on his musical and historical knowledge to younger musicians and is heavily involved with many Comhaltas branches around the country especially Tireragh CCÉ, Sligo and as a music tutor at Maynooth University.
Fiddle (Advanced - Sligo Style) w/Manus McGuire
Manus McGuire is an Irish fiddle player who has for many years been involved in performing, recording, teaching and in more recent times, composition. Originally from Sligo and now resident in Na Déise, County Waterford, he grew up in a rich musical environment in the North West of Ireland and together with his brother Seamus, he was ideally placed to carry on a fiddle tradition made legendary by Michael Coleman, James Morrison, Paddy Killoran and Lad O’Beirne.
As a recording artist, he has recorded solo fiddle albums, duo fiddle albums with his brother Seamus, and a number of CDs with bands Buttons and Bows, Moving Cloud, Brock McGuire Band and Full Tilt.
He is honoured to have won a number of prestigious fiddle awards such as the 2006 Male Irish Traditional Musician of the year in the U.S. by the Irish American News in Chicago. As well as performing with ‘Buttons and Bows’, ‘Full Tilt’ and East West Fiddles, these days he is involved in teaching fiddle both at intermediate and advanced levels.
Fiddle (Improver) w/ David Doocey
Born in Worcester, Massachusetts now living in Foxford, County Mayo, David Doocey is at the forefront of a younger generation of musicians.
He has won several awards including All-Ireland medals on both fiddle and concertina and the first ever World Fleadh fiddle championship in 2005.
2013 saw the release of David’s debut solo album ‘Changing Time’ and 2022 sees the release of David’s new album with NxMW featuring Stephen Doherty, Ryan Molloy and Kieran Leonard.
Fiddle (Intermediate) w/ Jason McGuinness
Jason McGuinness from Dromore West, Co. Sligo is a secondary school teacher who graduated from Maynooth University having completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music, Geography and History, and most recently obtained a Professional Master of Education.
Jason was the first Sligo fiddler since 1970 to win the Fiddler of Dooney competition in 2016 and holds the current Ed Reavy International Senior Fiddler title. He has performed on the Comhaltas tours of Ireland, Britain, and Canada in 2011-2012, toured Germany and France
In 2020 and completed the Comhaltas TTCT teaching diploma course. He has won many music awards in county, provincial and All-Ireland fleadheanna most recently winning the All-Ireland senior Fiddle Fleadhfest in 2021, All Ireland Senior Slow Airs titles in 2019 and U18, All-Ireland Senior Drums title in 2015, U18 senior duet in 2019, (with his brother Damien on Button Accordion) as well as senior grupa cheoil in 2019 and All-Ireland Ceili Band U18 céilí band title. He is a winner of Siansa Gael Linn with his group ‘Teaspach’.
From a young age, Jason showed a keen interest in researching and collecting recordings and archival material of Irish Traditional musicians. He has a passion for the Sligo style and has extensive knowledge relating to tunes history and céilí bands throughout the decades. Jason now follows in their footsteps passing on his musical and historical knowledge to younger musicians and is heavily involved with many Comhaltas branches around the country especially Tireragh CCÉ, Sligo and as a music tutor at Maynooth University.
Fiddle (Improver) w/ David Doocey
Born in Worcester, Massachusetts now living in Foxford, County Mayo, David Doocey is at the forefront of a younger generation of musicians.
He has won several awards including All-Ireland medals on both fiddle and concertina and the first ever World Fleadh fiddle championship in 2005.
2013 saw the release of David’s debut solo album ‘Changing Time’ and 2022 sees the release of David’s new album with NxMW featuring Stephen Doherty, Ryan Molloy and Kieran Leonard.
Fiddle (Intermediate) w/ Caoimhe Kearins
Caoimhe Kearins hails from Collooney, outside the town of Ballymote, Co. Sligo. She is the third generation of a family steeped in traditional music & song and is a Senior All Ireland fiddle, singing and lilting champion. In 2017 she won the prestigious Senior Fiddler of Dooney title. Caoimhe has previously taught traditional singing & lilting as well as ‘Feadóg Stain trí Ghaeilge’ at the summer school here in Tubbercurry. She has tutored at several other festivals and summer schools in recent years and she brings a rich store of skill, a deep understanding of the tradition and experience to her teaching.