About
Roisin Mc Grory
Traditional Irish Fiddle player Inishowen, Co.Donegal
Roisin Mc Grory began playing traditional Irish fiddle music in her early teens. Growing up in Burnfoot, Inishowen, Co. Donegal she was exposed to the rich culture of music in the area.
She learned from two legends of Donegal fiddle music, Dinny McLaughlin from Shandrum, Buncrana and James Byrne from Glencolmcille.
Roisin herself has gained respect as a distinguished fiddle player and has performed and taught at festivals and events throughout Ireland and abroad.
As a full-time teacher of traditional music in Inishowen, she is in-demand for her work with solo musicians and group ensembles. She has competed successfully at Fleadhanna competitions with her brothers Paul Harrigan (piano accordion and uilleann pipes) and Damien Harrigan (fiddle).
Influenced by the unique wealth of fiddle music in Donegal, Roisin began to look more closely at the music of Inishowen and in 1999 co-founded Inishowen Traditional Music Project (ITMP). The primary focus of ITMP is to promote and preserve the music of Inishowen, through workshops, concerts, and documenting the music and establishing an archive.
In 2016 she released her debut solo album The Brae Road, which features new and old tunes from her locality. The album received positive reviews and was played widely on national radio.
Her second album Pór is due for release in Spring 2024, and features original compositions along with new compositions from Inishowen traditional musicians, who all come from a long lineage of music and song (Pór). On the album she is accompanied by guitar master Steve Cooney along with daughter Ella McGrory on piano. Paul McClure joins on bodhran and Deirdre McGrory performs two songs.
Roisin is a member of The SíFiddlers with 12 of Donegal’s finest female fiddle players : Mairead Ní Mhaonaigh, Bríd Harper, Clare Friel, Liz Doherty, Tara Conaghan, Theresa Kavanagh, Denise Boyle, Aisling Byrne, Melaine Houton, Claire Gallagher, Clodagh Warnock and Eimear McColgan.
The SíFiddlers, debut album was released in 2020.
Roisin also features on the albums, The Fiddle Music of Donegal, volume 2 produced by Cairdeas Ní bhFidiléirí (1999), Ark of Tides, featuring the music of Dinny McLaughlin (2013) and Music from the White Stone, a solo album by Paul Harrigan (2019).She is featured on The SíFiddlers, debut album was released in 2020, and on Seven Waves a special commission by Cairdeas Ní bhFidiléirí for an art installation by Erlend Brown & Dave Jackson, featuring compositions by Paul Harrigan (2021).
She is guest musician along with Donal Lunny, Tony Garnier and Steve Gunn on the recently released and critically acclaimed Cold Sea, which is a solo album by Oisin Leech (2024). She joined Oisin on his Irish tour in April on sold out shows in Dublin, Galway and Letterkenny. On the shows she featured her original composition "Where Aileach Guards' in a duet with bassist Graham Heaney.
Roisin has also been involved in a wide range of collaboration projects such as the Colmcille Project, (Feis Spé, Scotland), The Melting Pod, a project with New York musicians Ralph Rolle and Selan Lerner (Chic), North Atlantic Fiddle Convention, 100 Fiddles and a cross genre collaboration with Benoit Guerbigny (France).
Links
Inishowen Traditional Music Project-
The SiFiddlers-