Seán Keane Seán Ó Catháin | |
|---|---|
 Keane performing in 2010 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | (1946-07-12)12 July 1946 Drimnagh,Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 7 May 2023(2023-05-07) (aged 76) Rathcoole, Dublin, Ireland |
| Genres | Folk,Traditional Irish |
| Occupations |
|
| Instrument | Fiddle |
| Years active | 1960s–2023 |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | |
| Website | thechieftains |
Seán Keane (Irish:Seán Ó Catháin; 12 July 1946 – 7 May 2023) was an Irishfiddler, teacher and member ofThe Chieftains. He was a member ofCeoltóirí Chualann in the 1960s, before joining The Chieftains in 1968.[1] He had a unique style, especially in his use of ornamentation, perhaps influenced by the music of theuilleann pipes.
Keane was born into a musical family inDrimnagh, a suburb ofDublin, Ireland. Keane's mother and father were both fiddle players from musical communities inCounty Longford andCounty Clare, respectively, and would host many traditional players who traveled from all over Ireland to perform in Dublin city. The Keane household became a landmark in Dublin's traditional music scene in the 1950s and 1960s. These guests greatly influenced Keane and his brother,James, anaccordion player, as did their summer trips to Longford and Clare where they encountered much traditional music.[1]
In May 1981, Keane was profiled onRTÉ'sHand Me Down series, which looks at how traditional music is handed on from generation to generation.[2] Each program features a traditional artist and looks at how they inherited Irish music from their family. In this extract from the program, Keane plays solo before accompanying members of the Castle Céilí Band with the Mullagh set dancers at theWillie Clancy Summer School. The Castle Céilí Band were reformed especially for the program which is now archived in theRTÉ Libraries and Archives.
In March 2019, Keane was featured on Season 8 episode 1 ofTG4's documentary series'Sé Mo Laoch, which features some of Ireland's greatest traditional musicians.[3] The 25 minute-long documentary looked at his life and career from his childhood up until the present day and is archived onTG4 Player.
Keane was married and had three children, Deirdre, Páraic and Darach. Darach and Páraic are both musicians. The majority of Keane's grandchildren play: Molly, Alex and Ella play fiddle; Loulou and Clara play concertina; Ruby plays cello, while Jack plays uilleann pipes/tin whistle. His other grandchildren are Doireann, Páidí and Seán Óg.[1]
Keane died on 7 May 2023, at the age of 76.[4]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
