Danny O’ Mahony is a traditional musician from Ballyduff in North County Kerry. He grew up playing music with the older generation of musicians in his locality. His late father Mick had a very positive influence on Danny as a young child and nurtured his keen ear and interest in traditional Irish music. Danny’s musical style is expressive and deeply personal, and reflects his affinity with the music of past masters. Both imaginative and fearless in his interpretation,
Danny’s performance abilities have been acknowledged through winning Junior & Senior All-Ireland titles and graduating from the University of Limerick with a Masters in Performance.
In May 2011, Danny released his long awaited and critically acclaimed debut solo recording ‘In Retrospect‘ accompanied by Patsy Broderick on piano, Cyril O’ Donoghue on bouzouki and Johnny ‘Ringo’ McDonagh on percussion. The result is “The mark of a real musician, whatever his or her learning, is the ability to bring fresh perspectives to the most timeworn forms, and that’s where Kerry box player and radio presenter Danny O’Mahony shimmies into the spotlight with chutzpah” – Siobhán Long in The Irish Times, Friday July 15th 2011.
“In Retrospect is an instrumental fusion of generational tradition where nostalgic tones are enhanced by the innovative instrumentals of a serious talent. A debut delight” – Irish Music Magazine, September 2011.
More recently he has collaborated with concertina maestro Mícheál Ó Raghallaigh to release their duet album aptly titled ‘As it Happened‘. This features Danny & Mícheál playing unaccompanied in the comfort of Mícheál’s kitchen.
“Minimalist ‘method’ results in brilliant ‘As It Happened’ “– Daniel Neely Irish Echo New York June 21st 2012
Danny presents and produces a weekly radio programme Trip to the Cottage which features Irish Traditional Music and Song for broadcast on Radio Kerry (www.radiokerry.ie). Danny frequently attends festivals and summer schools as guest tutor, lecturer and performer. His current area of special interest is the music of Tom Carmody and the James Morrison Quartet.
Danny has regularly performed on RTÉ, TG4, RTÉ Radio One, Lyric FM, and Raidió na Gaeltachta. In 2009, Danny revived The Shannon Vale Céilí Band. The original band was formed in Ballyduff, Co. Kerry by fiddler Dr. Mick Sweeney in 1959. The Shannon Vale Céilí Band won the prestigious All-Ireland Senior Céilí Band title at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, 2011.
: Danny O’ Mahony