This week on The Greg Hughes Podcast, I’m joined by a living legend of Irish traditional music: fiddler, vocalist, and founding member of Altan,
Born and raised in the heart of the West Donegal Gaeltacht of Gweedore (Gaoth Dobhair), Mairéad was immersed in music from an early age under the guidance of her father, the famous fiddle teacher Francie Ní Mhaonaigh. Over a extraordinary career spanning four decades, she went from primary school teaching to co-founding Altan with her late husband Frankie Kennedy, taking Donegal’s unique fiddling tradition and the Irish language onto the global stage.
In this episode, we cover:
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From Gweedore to the World: Growing up in a steeped musical heritage, forming Altan, and touring internationally from local halls to packed halls across North America, Europe, and Japan.
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Life on the Road & Parenting: The realities of maintaining a relentless global touring schedule while balancing motherhood and family life.
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Recognition & Legacy: Reflecting on major honors, including being named TG4 Gradam Ceoil Musician of the Year (TG4 Gradam Ceoil Ceoltóir na Bliaina) , Donegal Person of the Year and her ongoing work with projects like String Sisters and Na Mooneys.
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Live Studio Music: Unique, live acoustic performances recorded right alongside our conversation.
Whether you’ve followed Altan since the early days or simply love authentic conversations about music, culture, and life, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
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