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Meet Clanndarragh

From the August, 2007 Chárde Gaeil Newsletter: In March, 2007, at the last day of the Celtic Trader, Leonard Fitzsimons suggested several friends, all of whom were musicians and (mostly) ISOC members, get together at Sandra Connick's new building to practice. Ken Lee, Fintan Muldoon, Chris Lord and Leonard met there the following Friday and after some jamming played for the Irish Dancers . . . it was greatly appreciated. Later, Leonard converted his recreation room into a music studio to hold practice meets. Since then, the group has expanded to include Diamuid O'Sullivan, Emily Muldoon, and Francis O'Kane. They all enjoy playing and look forward for any opportunity to do so.

Current Members

Leo Fitzsimons, Bodhrán, Guitar, Vocals. I studied violin and recorder for a number of years in Belfast, Ireland. Later I started a rock band in Belfast and played drums. However, my interest music was of a wide interest including, classical, rock, jazz, celtic etc. These were the years when "Them" formed in Belfast with Van Morrison, Alan Henderson literally around the corner where I lived and but a few doors from George Best the great soccer player, who I had actually played soccer with. Our band eventually disbanded, but I continued drumming. By 1977 at the height of "The Troubles" and after losing a thriving business and suffering an injury by a car bomb, my wife Johanna and I decided to emigrate from Ireland to New York with our three children, Nicholas, Louise and Patrick in March. At Adelphi University in New York I wrote a paper on the beginning of the original "troubles" to the present day (1987). After ten years in New York, again we decided to make a move; to Charlotte, North Carolina. Patrick our youngest studied percussion at Appalachian State University and later became an acomplished guitarist concentrating on blues and is now a well known musician and entertainer in the state. We played music together and again I got interested in forming a group. Nicholas is a surgeon specializing in urology at Duke Medical Centre, Durham, NC. Louise is a recent mother of a beautiful boy and manages a busy agency group at Transamerica Insurance. In Charlotte we were introduced to The Irish Society. I got involved and served as board member,treasurer, Vice-president and President. A few years ago we formed a group of celtic musicians and called it Clanndarragh.

Ken Lee, Guitar, Vocals, Tin Whistle. Ken was born and reared in Ballyshannon, County Donegal. He is the youngest of 11 children! He first got into music by learning how to play tin whistle at age 12 and then guitar at age 15. Ken and wife, Joanne, have two children -- Jake, age 3, and Roisin (aka Rosie), age 1. The Lees moved to Charlotte in September 2004 and were introduced to the ISOC by fellow band member and ISOC co-founder, Diarmuid O'Sullivan. Ken enjoys singing all sorts of songs, Irish and folk mainly, but has been known to break out into Elvis, Beatles and other rock n roll favorites. Ken says, "The fun and craic that we have with ClannDarragh reminds me of the music sessions I used to play in Ireland and makes it that little bit easier to be so far from home."

Emily Muldoon, Tin Whistle, Vocals. I'm 24 years old, born in Florida, a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy and Carnegie Mellon University in Oboe performance. I started music studies at the age of 5, when my parents enrolled me in piano lessons. I love Irish music and dance, and played with Michael Murphy and the Shannon River Band in Pittsburgh and now with ClannDarragh. I currently work at Bank of America, sub with the Charlotte Symphony and take business classes. Spend my free time playing Gaelic football with the Charlotte Gaelic Football Club, mountain biking, and cooking, to name a few."

Diarmuid O'Sullivan, Tin Whistle, Recorder. "I was taught tin-whistle at age 5, by my mother and uncle. I still have an original "Clarke" whistle with the wooden mouth-piece from the 50's which I save for occasions. Music was very important in our famly as was the Irish language. I took piano lessons for just a year but I attended Colaiste Iosagain - an Irish speaking boarding-school near Coolea, Co. Cork. Our local GAA club, Spa, was very involved in Scor'- a competition for music, dancing, story-telling, sean-nos singing and as my late father was President of the club we spent many nights traveling the motorways of South Kerry attending competitions. My children are grown - David works at Wachovia and Aisling is completing post-graduate work at UT, Austin. My work in developing leaders, team-building, assessing candidates for employment and executive coaching has taken me to fourteen different countries thus far. Being a member of ClannDarragh is wonderful. We have a dedicated group of musicians who want to keep it fun and real."

Past Members

Fintan Muldoon (1944 - 2015), Keyboard, Tin Whistle. "I was born in Galway, Ireland, I received my social work graduate degree from Barry University in Miami Florida, and I now work as a computer programmer at Carolina's Medical Center. I've been involved for the past 12 years with Rince Na h'Eireann Feis, organizing their Irish Dancing and Irish Music Competitions. I was raised in a family and community where music and singing were of vital importance. I play the piano by ear and have played for many a session from Connemara to San Francisco, and organized the teen trad band, SOLAS. My particular interests include I rish Genealogy, folklore, traditions and Celtic Spirituality; and my hobbies include Tennis (currently ranked 5th in the State in the senior age group) woodworking and reading."

Chris Lord, Fiddle, Tin Whistle, Irish Flute, Guitar. "I started playing music very young first on piano and then saxophone through high school. Somewhere in there I picked up the guitar and in college I played Bass. I was first introduced to the Irish Music genre when I saw Riverdance for the first time. The dancing was great but the tunes were what really grabbed me. My son, daughter and wife started taking Irish dance at Rince na h'Eireann in 2000 and I started hearing more music at the feisanna. I started teaching myself whistle at the beginning of 2003 and then I got hold of my grandpa's fiddle, had it restored and started taking lessons.Through the great folks at the Celtic Trader, Rege and Barb Malady, I was able to experience some very high caliber musicianship in a session environment. I would go with my couple of tunes and sit and wait for a chance to play with them. In December of 2005, I picked up a keyless Ralph Sweet Irish flute and started learning it as well. I have a practice set of Michael Vignoles Uilleann Pipes that I picked up in 2004. This is by far the hardest instrument I have ever tried to play and for now it will remain at home safely away from our listening audience. One day . . .."

Francis O'Kane, Accordian. "I'm 26 years old and from County Derry. I have played accordion since I was 13. I played in an Irish traditional band in Glasgow, Scotland while at University and play in occasional sessions at home with friends and family. I arrived in Charlotte August, 2006, to teach Elementary School children with CMS through a teaching visa for two years. I play Gaelic football with the Charlotte Gaelic Football Club and love it here between the football, ClannDarragh, people and the weather!"