2026 Trad Fest West Music Workshops

A 3-day festival celebrating Irish arts! Join us at the United Irish Cultural Center (2700 45th Ave, SF) June 19-21, 2025 for three days of Irish culture and community including music and art. Family-friendly events include the ultimate Seisiún in The Sunset, music workshops, a community art show, the Dowling Library and Keepers of the Steps with cultural displays, a James Joyce inspired mash up and more. Join us for a venerable showcase of Irish arts.

FESTIVAL DAY 2: Saturday, June 20, 2026

• Irish Music Workshops: 9 am-1pm
• Music Entertainment and Closed Seisiún Concert with Workshop Musicians: 2 pm-late
• UICC Irish Shoppe—a taste of Ireland in SF
• Dowling Library with cultural exhibits including Keepers of the Steps History of Irish Dance and The First 50 Years of the Irish Cultural Center
• Adam Ziskie Art Exhibition; Emerald Room June 21

IRISH MUSIC WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
Please click "tickets" to sign up; space is limited!

BANJO with Pauline Conneely

• 9 am Tenor Banjo: Tunes & Technique 1 Pauline Conneely
• 10 am Tenor Banjo: Tunes & Technique 2 Pauline Conneely
• 11-12 noon New Tune Workshop with Pauline Conneely

FIDDLE with Blake Ritter

• 10-11am Fiddle: Beginners Fiddle Workshop 1
• 11-12 noon Fiddle: Intermediate Tunes & Technique Workshop 2

BODHRAN with Cormac Gannon

• 11-12 noon Kids Bodhrán Workshop with Cormac Gannon
• 12-1 pm Adult Bodhrán Workshop with Cormac Gannon

CONCERTINA, TIN WHISTLE & HARP with Emily Greaney

• 9-10am Tunes & Technique Tin Whistle Workshop with Emily Greaney
• 10-11am Tunes & Technique Irish Harp Workshop with Emily Greaney
• 11-12 noon pm Tin Whistle with Emily Greaney

CONCERTINA with Sarah Sheehan

• 9-10am Beginners Concertina with Sarah Sheehan
• 10-11am Intermediate Concertina with Sarah Sheehan
• 11-12 noon Beginners Concertina with Sarah Sheehan

ACCORDION with Colm Gannon

• 11-12 noon Accordion Tunes and Techniques with Colm Gannon

UILLEANN PIPES with Sean Gavin

• 11-12 noon Uileann Pipes: Tunes and Techniques with Sean Gavin

About the Workshop Artists

Emily Greaney - Harp and concertina

An accomplished harp, concertina and piano player, hails from Abbeyknockmoy, County Galway, Ireland. Emily has been playing music from a very young age and is a gifted set and sean-nós dancer. No stranger to the stage, Emily has previously toured with Janet Harbison’s, Irish Harp Orchestra, Joanie Madden, Celtic Flames, and most recently, Emily toured America, with the show ‘Irish Christmas in America’ produced by Oisín Mac Diarmada. Emily is currently in her third year studying, Irish Music, at the Irish World Academy in the University of Limerick.

Pauline Conneely, Banjo

Pauline Conneely was born in Bedford, England, the daughter of Irish parents from Connemara and Longford, raised in a family steeped in Irish music, dance and culture. As a young girl she achieved great success, becoming a champion Irish step dancer before turning her focus to music. Under the tutelage of legendary musician Brendan Mulkere, Pauline honed her love of the banjo, eventually earning her status as renowned banjo player.

She founded the band Chicago Reel, who feature regularly at Irish festivals around the Midwest and East Coast. She frequently shares the stage with Grammy-nominated fiddler Liz Carroll, as well as many respected artists performing on the world stage today, including John Doyle, The Chieftains, Cherish the Ladies, Sean Keane, and Mick McGoldrick.

Blake Ritter—Fiddle

Blake is an award-winning fiddler from Humboldt County whose powerful yet soulful playing has made him a favorite at Irish music gatherings throughout Northern California. An All-Ireland champion in the slow airs tradition, Blake combines technical brilliance with a deep understanding of the emotional heart of Irish music. Whether performing for dancers, sessions, or concert audiences, his music reflects a lifelong dedication to the rich traditions of Ireland and the Celtic world.

Cormac Gannon—Bodhrán

Cormac is a San Francisco-based Irish musician, bodhrán player, singer, and founding member of the acclaimed Bay Area traditional Irish band The Gas Men. Originally from County Mayo, Ireland, Cormac has been a fixture of the Northern California Irish music scene since 1991, performing at festivals, concerts, sessions, and cultural events throughout the region. He is also the maker of handcrafted Heartbeat Bodhráns, combining musicianship and craftsmanship in service of the Irish tradition.

Sean Gavin—Uilleann Pipes

Seán Gavin, is one of the most highly regarded Irish musicians of his generation. Master uilleann piper and flute player, he is the first and only musician born outside Ireland to win the prestigious Seán Ó Riada Gold Medal. His recording, Music from the Lost Continent, with fiddler Jesse Smith, accompanist John Blake, and bodhran player Johnny “Ringo” McDonagh, was hailed by The Irish Echo as “traditional music at its best!” Seán has toured with the groups Bua and Téada, both have gleaned top praise from Irish music critics. He was Musical Director for the PBS program “I Am Ireland” and for the long running Atlantic Steps. He has lectured on traditional music at the University of Chicago, St. Andrew’s in Scotland, and many other locations. Seán is now back in his native Detroit where he continues to play, teach, and promote traditional Irish music. His latest project is the Irish Music Institute, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that encourages people of all ages to explore the ancestral music and song of Ireland. IMI connects a broad network of players, learners, and enthusiasts worldwide.

Colm Gannon—Accordion

Accordion wizard Colm Gannon’s playing is as vibrant and beautiful as the Connemara hills. Born in Boston of Connemara parents, he learned his music from his father and brother Sean. As a youth he played regularly with Seamus Connolly, Tina Lech and Jesse Smith. Colm won the All-Ireland on the button accordion in 1994, has toured widely with Riverdance, Dervish, and DeDannan and even performed with Dolly Parton. He has many recordings to his credit and is widely recognized as one of the young masters of the tradition. Colm has studied and lectured on the connections between American culture and Irish music, and the history of Irish music, particularly in Connemara, focusing on accordion players of the last century.