Meet the teachers
Gerry O'Connor
Fiddle
One of the great fiddle players of his generation.
Gerry O’Connor grew up in the town of Dundalk, County Louth in a family of musicians, dancers and singers. A four-time winner of The Fiddler of Oriel competition, Gerry has recently adjudicated the same competition and also the Gael Linn sponsored Siansa and RAAP /RTE sponsored Breakthrough competitions.
He teaches fiddle at the Willie Clancy Summer school and at master-classes throughout Europe. When at home Gerry works as a violin maker/restorer.
Oisín Mc Cann
Flute & uilleann pipes
Hailing from Warrenpoint in County Down, Oisín has had a passion for traditional music from an early age. He is a mulit-instrumentalist who has learnt most of his music through his local branch of Comhaltas in Warrenpoint and the famous Armagh Pipers Club. Oisín has recently completed his degree in Traditional Music in the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow.
Ranóg Townsend
Sean-nós dance
Ranóg Townsend is a Sean Nós dance educator and performer that hails from Lixnaw, Co. Kerry. She grew up in a home rich with the traditional arts, with tin whistles hidden in nooks and crannies and a kitchen permanently arranged for dancing. After stepping out in sessions from a young age she became an All Ireland Champion in 2015 at the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.
Aoife ní Fhearraigh
Songs in Irish and sean nós singing
Aoife Ní Fhearraigh was born and raised in the Donegal Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking region) of Gweedore and Northwest Donegal is home to some of the most famous names in Irish music: the members of Clannad, Enya and Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh of Altan.
Small wonder then that Aoife found herself surrounded by music from an early age. These early influences included the late Prionsias Ó Maonaigh, the father of Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh who taught her the fiddle. Later at school, she was taught music by Máire Uí Bhraonáin, mother to some of the Clannad-members. The strong local song tradition of Gweedore and neighbouring Ranafast also provided her with a wealth of beautiful songs.
Gerard Thompson
Guitar
Gerard hails from Lurgan, Co Armagh and his passion for traditional music came at an early age, getting his first guitar at the age of 11.
Gerard has performed with some of the finest musicians; Arty McGlynn, Cathal Hayden, Brian McGrath, Alan Kelly, Finbar Furey, Ralph McTell, Stevie Dunne, Damian O’Kane, John Joe Kelly, Bernadette Morris, Special Consciences.
Fergal O'Brien
Bodhrán
Fergal O’Brien hails from a family steeped in traditional music in Portglenone, County Antrim. Fergal became interested in traditional music through his mother Ann, an All Ireland Slow Air Fiddle champion, in the late 70’s.
He has been teaching bodhrán at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels since 1986 in Belfast and from 2006 with the Traditional Arts Partnership. In 2016, following the first graded bodhrán syllabus from the London College of Music & University of West London, Fergal introduced grades into his bodhrán teaching. He went on to publish the world’s first graded bodhran tutor book with his colleague René de Kat and the support of TAP.
Brendan T. Monaghan
Whistles, grúpa ceoil
Brendan is from Banbridge in Northern Ireland and has worked as a professional folk musician since 1991. He is a multi-instrumentalist specialised in uilleann pipes (Irish bagpipes) and tin whistles.
Back in Ireland, he was teaching in primary and secondary level schools as well as in several Comhaltas branches. He has several years of experience teaching music to children and adults alike.
Breandán de Gallaí
Modern Irish dance
Breandán’s professional dancing career began with Riverdance, and he toured with the company from 1994 – 2003, 7 of which as principal dancer. He performed in Europe, USA, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, and led the company at the opening ceremony of the World Special Olympic Games in 2003. In 2007, he returned to Riverdance as Dance Director.
His training is predominately in Irish step dancing, but is passionate about many dance genres and in 1988 he graduated from the Gus Giordano Dance Academy, Chicago, having been awarded a scholarship to study Ballet, Modern, Jazz and Tap dance
Marie Nivel
Celtic Harp
Starting out on the violin at age seven, Marie Nivel took up Celtic harp in 2008 and has since deepened her passion and skills for Irish music. In 2021 she released her first album The Road Less Travelled a personal selection of traditional Celtic and Scandinavian tunes, as well as her own compositions.
Marie Nivel is known for her sensitive playing and beautiful song writing. She has been performing solo and with a wide variety of musicians since 2012 at concerts, festivals and for private events.
Cecilie Stensrud
Choir
Cecilie started out with modern Irish dance in 2008 and has since then developed her passion for Irish music and more traditional dance styles. She is currently the only one in Norway to teach Irish ‘sean nós’ or ‘old style’ dance.
She has conducted the Mná Oslo Irish Choir since 2022.
Åse Kristine Waglen
Ceili
Åse Kristine Waglen teaches Irish dance at the dance school Sound-Irish dance Factory in Oslo and is a member of the Sound- Irish Dance Company. She took up Irish dancing at 16 and began teaching only a short time after this. Her main motivation is always to give people the opportunity to enjoy Irish music through dancing and community building.
Åse is our ceili caller at the Féile Oslo and will teach a ceili crash-course for all those who want to join the ceili night but want to be prepared.