Máire Breatnach
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Máire Breatnach () is an Irish
fiddle A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin or a bass. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Althou ...
,
violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...
and
viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...
player. She also sings in Irish on some of her albums. Since the early 1990s, she has recorded five solo albums, participated in many collaborations, and developed didactic material for children, mostly in Irish.


Early life

Born in Dublin, Máire Breatnach obtained a B.A., B.Mus. and M.A. degrees at
University College Dublin University College Dublin (), commonly referred to as UCD, is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland. With 38,417 students, it is Ireland's largest ...
, in Dublin where she lectured, as she also did in the College of Music, DIT before starting a freelance career as a performing musician. She later obtained a further M.A., in Ethnomusicology, from the
University of Limerick University of Limerick (UL) () is a Public university, public research university institution in Limerick, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Founded in 1972, as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick, it became a university in Septemb ...
, and a PhD from
Dublin City University Dublin City University (abbreviated as DCU) () is a Third-level education in the Republic of Ireland, university based on the Northside, Dublin, Northside of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Created as the ''National Institute for Highe ...
in 2013.


Music career

Breatnach is best known for her
fiddle A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin or a bass. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Althou ...
playing, and has been a prolific solo player as well as participating in a number of traditional and neo-traditional groups. She sings in Irish on some of her albums, and her composition ''Éist'' was an award-winning single. She has worked with the bands of Sharon Shannon,
Moya Brennan Moya Brennan (born Máire Philomena Ní Bhraonáin on 4 August 1952), also known as Máire Brennan, is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist. She is the sister of the musical artist known as Enya. She began performing pr ...
(of
Clannad Clannad () were an Irish band formed in 1970 in Gweedore, County Donegal, by siblings , and (Moya) (in English, Brennan) and their twin uncles Noel and (Duggan). They have adopted various musical styles throughout their history. Beginn ...
), and Mary Black, and features on albums by musicians as diverse as Dolores Keane,
Mike Oldfield Michael Gordon Oldfield (born 15 May 1953) is an English retired musician, songwriter and producer best known for his debut studio album ''Tubular Bells'' (1973), which became an unexpected critical and commercial success. Though primarily a gu ...
,
Alan Stivell Alan Stivell (; born Alan Cochevelou on 6 January 1944) is a Breton people, Breton and Celtic musician and singer, songwriter, recording artist, and master of the Celtic harp. From the early 1970s, he revived global interest in the Celtic (specif ...
,
Bryan Adams Bryan Guy Adams (born November 5, 1959) is a British and Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and photographer. He is estimated to have sold between 75 million and more than 100 million album, records and Single (music), si ...
, Anúna, , Dónal Lunny, Brian Kennedy, Ronan Keating, John Renbourn, and
The Chieftains The Chieftains were a traditional Irish folk band formed in Dublin in 1962, by Paddy Moloney, Seán Potts and Michael Tubridy. Their sound, which is almost entirely instrumental and largely built around uilleann pipes, has become synonymous w ...
. In the mid-1990s, Máire was the original fiddle player in the Bill Whelan-composed stage show ''
Riverdance ''Riverdance'' is a theatrical show that consists mainly of traditional Irish music and dance. With a score composed by Bill Whelan, it originated as an interval act during the Eurovision Song Contest 1994, featuring Irish dancing champions J ...
'', and subsequent soundtrack album. The show's main theme was performed (and was a huge hit) at the 1992
Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...
, representing Ireland. She can be seen and heard playing on the original ''Riverdance'' DVD/VHS, starring Michael Flatley and Jean Butler. Máire has also played on the Celtic arrangement album '' Final Fantasy IV: Celtic Moon'', and with
Yasunori Mitsuda is a Japanese composer and musician. He is best known for his work in video games, primarily for the '' Chrono'', '' Xeno'', '' Shadow Hearts'', and '' Inazuma Eleven'' franchises, among various others. Mitsuda began composing music for his own ...
on the arranged soundtrack to ''
Xenogears ''Xenogears'' is a 1998 role-playing video game developed and published by Square (video game company), Square for the PlayStation (console), PlayStation video game console. It is the debut entry in the larger ''Xeno (series), Xeno'' franchise. ...
'', titled '' Creid'', as well as featuring on albums by Chiaki Ishikawa and Mimori Yusa. Her collaboration with Thomas Loefke and Norland Wind is recorded on the CDs ''Norland Wind'', ''Atlantic Driftwood'', ''Northern Isles'' and ''Departures''. Máire's TV and film credits include '' Glenroe'', '' Tinteán'', and ''Voyage'' (part of the '' Waterways'' series), all on
RTÉ (; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Irish public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, ...
; '' A Freezing Summer'' (Japan), '' Angela Mooney Dies Again'', ''
In the Name of the Father ''In the Name of the Father'' is a 1993 biographical crime drama film co-written and directed by Jim Sheridan. It is based on the true story of the Guildford Four, four people falsely convicted of the 1974 Guildford pub bombings that killed fo ...
'', '' The Secret of Roan Inish'', '' Rob Roy'' and ''
Moondance ''Moondance'' is the third studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was released on 27 January 1970 by Warner Bros. Records. After the commercial failure of his first Warner Bros. album '' Astral Weeks'' (1968), Morr ...
''.


Writing and academic career

Breatnach has written a traditional/folk music column for the Irish language weekly newspaper '' Anois'' and later for the monthly magazine '' Comhar''. Since 2007, Breatnach has been involved in the preparation of CDs and books to accompany a range of Irish language material aimed at the Naíonra and early-reading age groups. Máire has produced, composed incidental music and performed on a range of instruments for more than 40 titles, as well as narrating many of them. Her first book, ''Vera agus a Veidhlín'', a children's musical story, illustrated by Robert Ballagh, was published in Dublin by An Gúm in 2008. In 2013, she was conferred with a PhD by Dublin City University for her study, undertaken in St Patrick's College, Drumcondra, of the acquisition and transmission of
sean-nós singing singing ( , ; Irish language, Irish for 'old style') is A cappella, unaccompanied, Irish traditional music, traditional Irish vocal music usually performed in the Irish language. singing usually involves very long melodic Phrase (music), phr ...
, ''Iomramh Aonair na nAmhrán: Sealbhú agus Seachadadh Thraidisiún an tSean-nóis i gComhthéacsanna 'Neamhthraidisiúnta. In 2022, Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne published Breatnach's second book for children, ''Mábúis – Cat ar Misean'', illustrated by Dómhnal Ó Bric and aimed at readers in the 10-14 age group.


Selected discography


Solo

* ''Angels' Candles'' (1993) * ''The Voyage of Bran'' (1994) * ''Celtic Lovers'' (1997) * ''Angels' Candles/Coinnle na nAingeal'' (1999) * ''Dreams and Visions in Irish Song / Aislingí Ceoil'' (2002) * ''Cranna Ceoil / In Full Measure'' (2009)


Collaborations

* '' Riverdance: Music from the Show'' (1995) * ''Tarraing Téad / Pulling Strings'' (with Cormac De Barra) (2010)


References


External links


Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Breatnach, Maire Living people 20th-century Irish women singers Irish women fiddlers Irish-language singers Alumni of University College Dublin Alumni of the University of Limerick Alumni of Dublin City University 21st-century Irish women singers 21st-century Irish fiddlers 20th-century Irish fiddlers 1956 births 1990s in Irish music 2000s in Irish music 2010s in Irish music 2020s in Irish music