Skip to main content

Kevin Burke, Dermot Byrne, Noriana Kennedy & Jim Murray

Kevin Burke, Dermot Byrne, Noriana Kennedy & Jim Murray

17102025 Music Network Boyle Co Roscommon 0446
Music Network presents Kevin Burke, Dermot Byrne, Noriana Kennedy & Jim Murray

Kevin Burke fiddle
Dermot Byrne
accordion
Noriana Kennedy
voice, 5-string banjo
Jim Murray
guitar

Music Network presents another unmissable collaboration featuring four extraordinary artists who have shared their music with audiences over four decades of its National Touring Programme.

Accordion maestro Dermot Byrne, legendary fiddler and member of the iconic Bothy Band Kevin Burke, acclaimed singer-songwriter Noriana Kennedy (The Whileaways), and lauded guitarist Jim Murray come together for an exceptional nationwide tour in early 2026.

This specially curated ensemble reflects the spirit of Music Network’s mission to make high-quality live music accessible to communities throughout Ireland. Their programme will feature inspired performances of traditional and contemporary material from four artists whose collective experience and creativity have carved a deep impression on the landscape of traditional Irish music.

Audiences can look forward to an evening of remarkable musicianship, rich storytelling and joyful collaboration – in a fitting celebration of Music Network’s four decades of supporting and showcasing Ireland’s most gifted performers.

About the artists

Kevin Burke’s fiddle playing has been at the forefront of traditional music since the 1970s. His far-reaching solo album, If the Cap Fits, and his work with such distinguished performers as Arlo Guthrie, Kate Bush, Christy Moore and the Bothy Band established him as a ground-breaking artist. His decades long career has seen many innovative collaborations with notable musicians of differing styles - classical, old time, bluegrass, pop and rock as well as the Irish traditional music for which he is so well known. Some of the eminent artists he has worked with include Grammy Award winner Tim O’Brien, Liam Ó Maonlaí (lead singer of the Hothouse Flowers), classical violinists Gilles Apap and Greg Ewer, old time favourites The Foghorn String Band, and renowned Irish bands Dervish, Solas and Lúnasa. Always exploring new creative avenues, his most recent recording is a collaboration with veteran Rock guitarist John Brennan (Poco, Chris Hillman Band).

Kevin has earned international acclaim in both Europe and America as a solo performer, a teacher and as a member of some of folk music’s foremost groups including the exciting Celtic Fiddle Festival and Ireland’s long admired and respected Patrick Street. He has been the recipient of prestigious awards including Gradam Ceoil TG4 Musician of the Year 2016 and a National Heritage Fellowship, the USA's highest honour for excellence in the folk and traditional arts. Kevin has also been honoured by his adopted home state with his induction to the Oregon Music Hall of Fame.

A former Gradam Ceoil TG4 Musician of the Year, Dermot Byrne’s seemingly effortless playing, combined with great subtlety and a faultless ear, makes him one of the finest accordion players of his generation. As well as his mastery of the Donegal style and repertoire, Dermot can turn with ease to other styles and traditions such as French musette or South American choro music.

Hailing from the Inishowen peninsula of Co. Donegal, Dermot was a member of the renowned Irish traditional music band Altan from 1994 to 2013 and he has also collaborated with such excellent artists as Séamus and Manus McGuire, Sharon Shannon, Frankie Gavin and Bríd Harper. Outside of traditional music, he has also recorded and performed with Dolly Parton, John Prine, Vince Gill, Phill Coulter, The Stunning, Salsa Celtica, Mary Black, Tim O’Brien, Alison Krauss, Paul Brady and the late jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli.

Dermot’s self-titled solo recording, released in 1994, cemented his status as one of the finest exponents of the button accordion. More recent recordings with Canadian fiddler Pierre Schryer (2 Worlds United), French harpist Floriane Blancke (Dermot Byrne and Floriane Blancke), Yvonne Casey (As We Feel It) and Steve Cooney (The Donegal Melodeon) have received widespread critical acclaim.

Half Irish and half Filipino, Noriana Kennedy possesses a captivating voice lauded by the Irish Times as “a knockout: translucent and tenacious in equal measure”. Embracing a wide range of old-time songs, folk ballads, and originals, she imbues each song with her unique taste, crafting a sound that is distinctly her own. Her debut album, Ebb n Flow, was released in 2011, and featured a stellar cast including Sharon Shannon and Trevor Hutchinson. Since then, her career has soared, touring extensively in the USA with the renowned traditional group Solas and sharing the stage with respected artists like Pauline Scanlon, Eilís Kennedy, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh and John Spillane as part of Stor mo Chroí.

In 2013, Noriana combined with singer-songwriters Nicola Joyce and Noelie McDonnell to form the captivating songwriting trio The Whileaways. The trio boasts a remarkable musical journey marked by stunning vocal prowess and originality. Together with her bandmates, Noriana has contributed to four albums, earning several RTÉ Folk Award nominations along the way. Their enchanting harmonies, accompanied by guitar, banjo, and ukulele, weave a mesmerizing tapestry of beautifully crafted original songs.

Noriana has graced prestigious stages worldwide, from Tonder Fest (Denmark) to Port Fairy Folk Festival in Australia. Through her unmistakable renditions of old-time songs, folk ballads and standout original compositions, she has carved a well worn and confident seat in Ireland's vibrant folk music scene.

Jim Murray is one of the world’s leading traditional Irish guitar players. For over twenty years he has toured, performed and recorded with artists such as Sharon Shannon, Sinéad O’Connor, Steve Earle, Shane MacGowan, Séamus Begley, Mike McGoldrick, Altan and Mary Black.

Born into a musical family in County Cork, Jim’s early years were spent immersed in Irish music. Having finished school, he formed his own band at the age of eighteen and honed his live craft around the local Irish circuit. In 1998, he began his professional career being invited to tour Japan and Australia with accordion legend Séamus Begley whilst also in the same year touring America with piano accordion ace Alan Kelly. In 1999, Jim was invited to become guitarist with world renowned Irish musician Sharon Shannon and he has recorded and toured with her across five continents.

Jim had an extraordinary musical partnership with accordionist and singer Séamus Begley and their debut album, Ragairne, released in 2001, received both The Irish Times and Hotpress Traditional Irish Music Album of the Year. Jim also has a wealth of teaching experience both at home and internationally and has regularly been invited to give masterclasses around the world.

Kevin Burke solo - Fleadh TV
Dermot Byrne with Steve Cooney - Folk Nights at glór
The Whileaways - The Late Late Show | RTÉ One
Jim Murray with Sharon Shannon - FleadhTV