Drawing From the Well – The Breandán Breathnach Collection

Mary Bergin (whistle) 
Matt Molloy (flute)
Pádraic Keane (uilleann pipes) 
Edwina Guckian (dancer) 
Aidan Vaughan (dancer) 
Noel Hill (concertina)
Doireann Glackin (fiddle/song)
Sarah Flynn
Bryan O’Leary (accordion) 
Ian Lynch (song)  
Ciarán Ó Gealbháin (song) 
Nia Byrne (fiddle)
Charlie Harris (accordion)
Libby McCrohan (bouzouki) 
Fiachra Potts (uilleann pipes)
Aoife Nic Cormaic (presenter)
Seán Potts (presenter)
Conor Connolly (button accordion, piano and singer)
Caitlín Nic Gabhann (dancer)

Breandán Breathnach (1912-1985) was a renowned music collector whose work became the cornerstone of the Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA) founded two years after his death. On Sunday March 15, 2026, ITMA in association with the National Concert Hall, will celebrate Breathnach’s extraordinary legacy at the ninth staging of the Drawing from the Well Series featuring a host of leading musicians, singers and dancers. The line-up includes Noel Hill (concertina), Mary Bergin (whistle), Pádraic Keane (uilleann pipes), Bryan O’Leary (accordion), Ciarán Ó Gealbháin (song), Charlie Harris (accordion), Ian Lynch (song), Doireann Glackin (fiddle/song), Sarah Flynn (concertina), Nia Byrne (fiddle), Fiachra Potts (uilleann pipes), Libby McCrohan (bouzouki) and acclaimed dancer Edwina Guckian, with Aidan Vaughan. The programme will be co-presented by RTÉ presenter Aoife Nic Cormaic and ITMA’s Seán Potts. 

Speaking about the forthcoming event, ITMA Director Liam O’Connor said: “The work of great collectors like Breandán Breathnach serve as a continuing inspiration to our contemporary artists, fuelling new creative endeavours. It is a source of great satisfaction for the Archive that we are now, in association with NCH, staging the ninth Drawing from the Well concert in the series, platforming a group of artists who have all engaged with the Breathnach collection in ITMA and developed their solo performances through that productive engagement.”

 “Once again we will use the spoken word as part of the concert presentation, and we are delighted to have broadcaster Aoife Nic Cormaic who will co-host the event with uilleann piper Seán Potts.”

Presented by NCH in association with ITMA