Michael Mc Goldrick & Dezi Donnelly

The skough sessions committe are delighted to have two legends of traditional Irish music in the intimate setting of the back room at Moloneys for our second concert of this summers series. Michale Mc Goldrick (flute, pipes) and Dezi Donnelly ( fiddle) just happened to be over here for a weekend and we've been lucky enough to book them so take full advantage and book early to avoid dissapointment duos like this come around once in a blue moon.

Michael Mc Goldirck

One of the greatest flute players in the world” (BBC Music)

"Mike is in a class of his own - it’s always a joy to share a stage or a studio (or a beer) with him.” (Mark Knopfler)

Mike McGoldrick, from Manchester, England, is also a multi-instrumentalist and composer. His versatility induces wooden flute, low whistles and uilleann pipes to sound just right in a wide variety of settings, making him a go-to contributor for many artists including Vicente Amigo, Zac Brown Band, Xosé Manuel Budiño, Jerry Douglas, Julie Fowlis, Darrell Scott Nolwenn Leroy, Tim O’Brien, Dirk Powell and Kate Rusby Mike has played with Mark Knopfler since 2009 and with the Transatlantic Sessions since 2007. Steeped in Irish traditional music he has, from his ground-breaking 2000 solo album Fused onwards, assimilated a wide range of other musical styles - jazz, funk, African and Indian rhythms - into his work. In 2018 Mike released ARC, his fifth solo album, The Wishing Tree with John Doyle and John McCusker, and Dog in the Fog with Dezi Donnelly.

Dezi Donnelly

Dezi ‘Fiddle on Fire’ Donnelly is a Manchester based Fiddle player. One of the founder members of the legendary Celtic Rock Band ‘Toss the Feathers’. Often seen collaborating with the likes of Sharon Shannon and Mike McGoldrick.

” As an interpreter of traditional music, Dezi Donnelly stands apart from others of his generation. Despite his young age his playing bears all the hallmarks of someone who has grown naturally with the music.” - Paddy Glackin - from the liner notes of Familiar Footsteps

It is a well known cliche, to describe a fiddle player as “a devil fiddler” but in Dezi Donnelly’s case this is more of an understatement! The sibling of a Manchester fiddler dynasty is both All Britain and All Ireland Champion, a title truly deserved for his brilliant jigs and reels.

Having played the fiddle since the age of 7, Dezi was North West and All Britain fiddle champion by the age of 9. Amazingly, by the age of 15, he had won the All Ireland championship an astounding 5 times!

Dezi joined legendary Manchester-Irish band, Toss The Feathers, whilst still in his teens. Between 1988-91 and 1994-95 he appeared on the brilliant “Columbus Eclipse” and “Awakenings” albums.

It was during this period (in 1989 to be precise) that Dezi recorded some tracks with Mancunian flutist Michael McGoldrick. Mike’s flute and Dezi’s fiddle gently spar on most of the tracks, however each take the lead when required and the arrangements allow them to swap leads within sets to great effect. The tracks were later released on the album, “Champions Of The North”, and Dezi also featured on Mike’s amazing “Fused” album.

In 1999, Dezi scooped the “All Ireland Young Traditional Musician Of The Year”. The award pocketed him IR£5000 and a recording contract, which saw him release his first record “Familiar Footsteps: already recognised as one of the greatest traditional fiddle albums of all time.

In 2009 Dezi was asked to appear on the BBC’s ‘Transatlantic Sessions’ and performed alongside Jerry Douglas,Ali Bain,Phil Cunningham,Donal Lunny and James Taylor.