The web site for the O'Neill-Malcom Branch of
Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann (CCE)

Alexandria,Virginia base band featuring 8 to 12 or more musicians drawn from Maryland, Virginia, and District of Columbia. They perform extensively in the Washington metropolitan area for community groups and at local festivals. To contact the band, Please send an email to Sean, or phone at (703) 548-3095. More information at the Band Website.

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lilt noun \?lilt\ 1: a spirited and usually cheerful song or tune 2: a rhythmical swing, flow, or cadence 3: a springy buoyant movement

Lilt -- a duo consisting of Tina Eck on flute and whistle and Keith Carr on bouzouki and banjo -- are trying to impersonate all of the aforementioned definitions of their name with their music. They met in the Washington DC session scene some years back and found that “flute and zouk” were a good instrumental match for what they love to play: traditional dance music from Ireland. Jigs and reels, polkas and hornpipes, the occasional slow air or song. Lilt loves and tries to capture the essentials of Irish traditional music: boundless energy, wildness and melancholy.

Rambling House plays dance music with an "Irish persuasion". Energetic Irish traditional music for ceilis and contradances in the greater Washington DC, MD and VA area. Rambling House formed in 2008 and has since performed at numerous dances, ceilis and parties Members: Joe de Zarn - fiddle, Patrick Cavanagh - banjo, Marc Glickman - piano, Tina Eck - flute

Mad for the Road

Mad for the Road is a rockin' band which playes Irish jigs, reels, hornpipes, pub songs, and ballads.  Band members Maddy O'Neill-Dean, Joel Zlotnick, Elaine George Wolin, and Pat Dean, bring considerable skill to a variety of instruments--whistles, guitars, banjo, bodhran, and mandolin--to give a traditional sound but with an obvious sense of fun and excitement.  The band also brings in some country and bluegrass influences and maybe a children's song or two!

Mad for the Road has performed in a variety of venues and settings this year - including the Falls Church Summer Concert Series, the Brambleton Freedom Fest, Fairfax City's "Downtown Sidewalk" series, Fairfax Fall Festival, Leesburg First Friday, the Children's Inn at NIH, December '08 Fairfax First Night, and local pubs. Yeah, we do it all!

Email Maddy O'Neill-Dean to check availability for public performances or private events.

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The MollyHawks

The MollyHawks is a Washington, D.C. - based eclectic Celtic duo performing historic and contemporary music from the Golden Age of Sail and immigration. Teri and Kenny Wolin deliver a unique blend of vocal and instrumental music on instruments rarely heard in combination on stage.

Teri's blues-infused vocal styling are often performed in Gaelic. She also performs on the hurdy-gurdy, guitar, and a potpourri of Celtic percussion. Teri was the founding member of the Celtic band, Darby McGirr and was a "Best of Buffalo" award-winning vocalist.

Kenny is an award-winning Anglo concertina, bodhrán and rhythm bones player. In between vocal chantying, he claims to belong to the "instrument-o'-the-month club" performing also on the low-whistle, spoons, guitar and banjo. A master percussionist, he is a member of "The President's Own" U.S. Marine Band and is the musical leader of it's White House Irish Ensemble.

The MollyHawks are available for festivals, private and community events, educational programs, as well as pubs and restaurants. Contact us!

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Síor-Óg
(pronounced Shear Og with a long "O" in "Og")

Síor-Óg was formed in 2002 and performs primarily traditional Irish tunes, songs, dances and verse. Síor-Óg also performs Celtic music from such places as Scotland, Wales, and the Asturian and Galician regions of Spain.

The band's name ("forever young" in Irish Gaelic) reflects the music which has been played in Ireland for at least 150 years. The music evokes Ireland's abundant and varied musical heritage in the form of traditional reels, jigs, slip jigs, slides, clan marches, polkas, hornpipes and slow airs. Síor-Óg plays traditional Irish instruments such as the fiddle, bodhrán and a variety of high and low Irish whistles accompanied by guitar and bouzouki.

Síor-Óg‘s songs draw upon the rich history and legends of Ireland for inspiration telling of the legendary beauty of this land, the terrible price paid by rebels and the yearning for freedom over the centuries, the mass emigration caused by famine and the tender love of a mother for her child. The band often includes in its performances examples of Ireland's rich store of poetry by such masters as Yeats, Tynan, Heaney and Sigerson. Síor-Óg is often joined in performances by dancers from local dance schools who put on a spectacular display of Irish step dancing.

Síor-Óg has performed at such venues as the City of Fairfax Spotlight on the Arts and First Fairfax; A Celtic Christmas in Fairfax City; Old St. Mary's Labor Day Picnic; Harpers Ferry Olde Tyme Christmas; Fairfax County's Concerts in the Park and and Irish Heritage Night, George Mason University Festival of the Arts; 4-H Fairs; and private events. Síor-Óg may be reached by sending us an email.

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Karen plays wooden flute, pennywhistle and hammered dulcimer with her husband, Paul Oorts, a Belgian-born musician who performs on harp guitar, 10-string cittern, mandolin, and musette accordion. They play Irish and continental Celtic & European music.

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Plays at the monthly CCE Ceili every second Saturday, 7:30 - 11:00 PM, Sept. - May. Green Acres Center, 4401 Sideburn Road, Fairfax, VA 22030. A premier Washington DC area Irish dance band. Available for Ceilis, Irish Step Dancing, Contra dances, weddings, and other events or parties. Email Jesse Winch.

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Fiddler (Irish and Cape Breton styles). Available with or without a band for weddings, parties, and other occasions. Email Rosie or call: 410-206-8280.  You can also visit the Website.

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The Dirty Pints perform a mix of traditional Irish tunes and songs with the occasional contemporary classic. The group formed in 2006 out of a traditional Irish music session at Ireland's Four Provinces. Its members are Alan Carrick, Tim Griffin and Marc Cheek. To contact the band, please visit our website or call Alan at (202) 294-8956.

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Philippe Varlet and Rob Greenway host a Sunday afternoon seisiún each week (4-7pm in the restaurant) at Ri-Ra, located in the heart of Bethesda MD. While the seisiúns are open to all players, the majority of players frequenting the seisiún at this time are advanced. Ri-Ra is located at 4931 Elm Street, Bethesda, MD, off Wisconsin Avenue, just a few blocks from the Bethesda Metro stop (Red Line). 301-657-1122. For more information, email Philippe. or call him at: 301-873-3850.

Philippe and Rob also perform as a duet or with other musicians and dancers for parties, weddings, etc.

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Shen Fine

Shen Fine plays tunes and songs from Ireland and Scotland as well as contemporary acoustic folk music. We cover songs of Gordon Lightfoot, Mike Scott, John Prine, George Strait, and Corb Lund. Our “Sailor Sets” are legendary for lusty sing-a-longs and our stirring pub songs get everyone involved. Shannon, Brent and Cheryl are often joined by special guests at their gigs where they can incorporate even more sounds and stylings from the Celtic lands. Contact Brent for information and bookings.

Shen Fine will play at your private party, including weddings, wedding receptions, and rehearsal dinners. We specialize in Celtic weddings with service music including tunes by O’Carolan and traditional wedding tunes and songs. We are also available for festivals and special civic and community events.

We are available to pubs and restaurants interested in ballads, pub songs, sea shanty’s, audience participation, and traditional reels and jigs in the Celtic style. Our repertoire also includes original compositions and American folk songs and ballads with a country flavor.

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The Bog Band is a talented group of young people with a passion for Irish music. The band leader is Pete Moss (aka Mitch Fanning), a violin/strings teacher at the Washington Waldorf School. Most band members play fiddle and many of them play multiple instruments including flute, guitar, bodhran, cello, tin whistle and uilleann pipes.

The Bog Band was created in September, 2004 when a group of sixth grade boys at the Washington Waldorf School (Bethesda, Maryland) and their strings teacher, Mitch Fanning, formed a fiddle club to play traditional Irish tunes. As their talent and success grew, other young
musicians joined. Today, the Bog Band has about 20 musicians ranging in age from ten through teen (and beyond).

The Bog Band has performed to great reviews at events and festivals throughout the Baltimore/Washington area including: Potomac CelticFestival, The Folklore Society of Greater Washington, Smithsonian's Discovery Theatre, The DC Mayor's Awards Gala, Montgomery County Arts Council events, ShamRock Fest, and MetroPerforms!

In 2006, the Bog Band recorded its first CD, "Got Bog?". A second CD "On Their Own Turf" is a live seisiún recording that captures the excitement and enthusiasm these young musicians bring to their performances. For more information and a schedule of upcoming performances, please visit The Bog Band Website or email Mitch Fanning.

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Celtic Marc is a 5-member traditional ensemble that mixes thoughtful interplay of melody instuments [whistle, pipes, mandolin and fiddles] with intriguing bodhran and fingerstyle/rhythm guitar support.  CM's repetoire includes age-old and modern trad instrumental pieces and vocals with original compositions.   Influences include the Chieftains, Liz Carroll, Lunasa. Mary Black, and the Bothy Band, but also include non-trad musicians such as Dave Brubeck, Gordon Lightfoot, Joan Baez, and Stephen Stills.  The group name draws from the Irish word “marc” meaning a sign or an impression, besides it being the letters of the founding band members’ names.  Since 2006, Celtic Marc continues to appear regularly at Fairfax City’s Auld Shebeen, Irish and international festivals in the greater Northern Virginia area, coffee houses, and private gatherings. 

Do you want to know more about the ambiance our sound brings?  We invite you to visit our The Celtic Marc Website for a sound sample, further information on the group, and its scheduled performances.  We are available to serve your special needs, such as weddings, private parties, or other seasonal occasions where Irish traditional music will lift spirits and inspire the urge to lively dance.  For further booking information, contact us by email or call Mike Schaeffer or Ray Sheehan at 703-451-6776 or 703-490-6634 respectively.  Now it’s time for you to take in the Celtic Marc experience...........the driving beat of celtic music with kick. 

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Hammered dulcimer performer, producer of Celtic and Holiday concerts and owner of Maggie’s Music, an acoustic and Celtic record label that features twelve recording artists and over fifty recordings. Fiona Ritchie, host of NPR's The Thistle & Shamrock said,"Maggie's Music is a gathering place of much inspired and Celtic rooted music in the USA."

Maggie's Music

PO BOX 490

Shady Side, MD 20764

Maggie Sansone brings a unique beauty and vision to the ancient music of the Celts. Her albums ring with a Renaissance spirit, Celtic melodies, and a jazzy new crossover into what she calls "cool Celtic."

It's a fusion of ancient sounds and modern sensibility, fueled by the innovative use of old and new instruments.

And at the center of it all, there are the percussive yet melodious sounds of Maggie's wooden mallets dancing across the dulcimer's seventy strings.

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Nova Seisiún Players: 

Adult and Childrens' Sessions and

Tune Teaching Sessions

Auld Shebeen

3971 Chainbridge Road, (Rte. 123), corner of North Street, (Rte 236), Fairfax City

The Northern Virginia Irish Seisiún is a place for beginner and intermediate players to build the repertoire and skills they need to start participating in traditional pub seisiúns. Although we have a core of experienced players, our seisiún is very welcoming of beginners, musicians who are coming to Irish music from other genres, and people who are simply shy or overwhelmed by more advanced seisiúns. We encourage you to visit the seisiún to listen, talk with us, and join in. We're always happy to see new faces!

The seisiún meets at the Auld Shebeen, 3971 Chainbridge Road, (Rte. 123), corner of North Street, (Rte 236), Fairfax City, on Saturday afternoons from 12 until 2. On the first Saturday of every month (except during the summer), the seisiún hosts a tune teaching session from 10 until noon at Green Acres Center, 4401 Sideburn Road, Fairfax City (22030).

For lots of helpful information on the ABC's & GIF's of tunes played by the Bog Wanderers Ceili Band, check out the Bog Survival Kit.

More information, including music resources and a mailing list, is available on the Nova Seisiún website: . Email questions to Scott Turner.

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Harrington's Pub & Kitchen

177 Fleet Street, National Harbor, MD 20745

NEW OPEN SESSION, all levels welcome! complementary 1st drink
WHERE: HARRINGTON'S PUB & KITCHEN
177 FLEET ST, NATIONAL HARBOR, MD 20745
WHEN: WEEKLY: SUNDAYS 7-9:30PM BEGINING JUNE 5TH
LEADERS: KENNY & TERI WOLIN

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Most Sundays starting at 5:00 PM and going till 8:00.

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Monday Nights, 9-11 pm. All musicians and instruments are welcome: Guitars, Fiddles Mandolins, Whistles, Bodhrans, Banjos, Flutes.

Relaxed atmosphere - Beginners, intermediate, advanced - come together, learn together, have a chat and a bit of craic.

THIS IS AN OPEN SESSION - ALL ARE WELCOME
If interested (or know someone) call or text Alan on 202-294-8956

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Brendan Mulvihill is running a weekly session on Sundays 5 - 8 pm and Mitch Fanning and Zan McLeod are running a biweekly (1st and 3rd Wednesday night of every month) session

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Nanny O’Brien’s Bar

3319 Conn. Ave., NW

Washington, DC

202-686-9189

Weekly Monday night Seisiúns

Start between 8 and 9 PM

No designated leader, longest running Irish seisiún in the area.

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J. Patrick’s

1371 Andre St.

Baltimore, MD

410-244-8613

Leaders: Tues. – Laura Byrne and Jimmy Eagan, Thurs. – Peter Fitzgerald
Beginner seisiún, Monday 8 -11 (Donna Long)

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McGinty's Public House

911 Ellsworth Drive
Silver Spring, MD 20910

P. Brennan's Irish Pub & Restaurant

2910 Columbia Pike,

Arlington, VA 22204.

Phone 703-553-1090

A brunch session with piano starting at 12 noon, led by Dennis Botzer, every Sunday at noon.

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A pipe and drum band organized by members of the Fairfax County sheriff's Department. For additional information, contact carlmhuntIII@gmail.com

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Periodically offers classes in Irish music. For more information go to www.baltimoreirisharts.com, or call 443-629-8699. Also, Laura Byrne www.charmcityhomesearch.com and www.laurabyrne.com

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Springfield, Virginia resident Dominic Preston has a web site where you can get information on guitar lessons and obtain CDs.  For more information email Dominic or call: 703-980-0705

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This is a cool site for practicing some standard seisiún tunes with some great musicians.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/r2music/folk/sessions/

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McGinty's Public House, 911 Ellsworth Avenue, Silver Spring, MD
2nd Sunday of every month: 5-5:30 beginners; 5:30-6 p.m. intermediate; 6-6:30+ advanced.

For more information, email Mitch Fanning, or call 301-565-3657

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Calendar / Officers and Board Members / Dance Schedule / CCE Music Session / Irish Language / MAD Week / Comhaltas Irish Dance Festival / Irish Folk Festival /Bands/ Set & Ceili Dance Clubs & Dance Classes/ Links / Home / Membership

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