Majelle O'Bierne?

Irish Flute
1

Heard Majella O’Bierne playing for the first time yesterday on FleadhTv in the band Dublin lasses. Great flute playing, strong punchy style. Is she from the north of Ireland? A new name to me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nevPE6PMmP0

The Dublin Lasses have a CD out “Dublin Lasses”

https://custysmusic.com/products/aoife-oconnor-majella-obeirne-mary-corcoran-h3-the-dublin-lasses

Three sets of tunes here on NPU’s site:

http://pipers.ie/source/media/?searchTerm=Dance&startRowIndex=432$pageIndex=1&pageIndex=0&pageSize=72&sPage=1&mediaId=27340

http://pipers.ie/source/media/?searchTerm=Dance&startRowIndex=432$pageIndex=1&pageIndex=0&pageSize=72&sPage=1&mediaId=27339


http://pipers.ie/source/media/?searchTerm=Dance&startRowIndex=432$pageIndex=1&pageIndex=0&pageSize=72&sPage=1&mediaId=27334

2

She’s from Dublin (the title of the trio CD is a bit of a give away?). She’s been appearing at the flute concerts at the Willie for donkey’s years, usually with Mick O’Connor. I believe she was one of his or Mick Hand’s pupils, coming out of the Clontarf Comhaltas branch where Mick taught before they were collectively expelled by headquarters (see the Donncha O Briain tune book for pics from the seventies and eighties when everybody was terribly young).

3

As Claddagh Records says in the description at http://claddaghrecords.com/index.php/the-dublin-lasses.html

"Dublin musicians Aoife O’Connor, Majella O’Beirne and Mary Corcoran are counted among the finest traditional musicians from the capital and in this, their first CD, draw inspiration and influence from the greats of the tradition who have paved the way for today’s players. On this evocative and beautiful recording, they are adding to the continuity of the tradition and showcasing the abilities of Dublin’s female musicians at the highest level.

Aoife O’Connor: Concertinas;

Majella O’Beirne: Flutes and whistle;

Mary Corcoran: Piano;"

Dublin, Dublin, Dublin.

4

Yes and very connected there too : Aoife is Mick’s daughter, Mary Corcoran married to Gay MCKeon (below on the right, playing fiddle).

5

I thought maybe she was perhaps from the north but settled in Dublin from the style of her flute playing. Fine playing from all three anyway. Sounds like she could be playing an Olwell or Hamilton six key. So many excellent female flute players these days, Tara Diamond, Steph Geremia, Aoife Granville, Órlaithh McAuliffe, Louise Mulcahy, Emer Mayock, Catherine McEvoy, Deirdre Havlin, Nuala Kennedy, Savannah Donohoe to name a few.