Paddy Cronin

The fiddle player Paddy Cronin was born in the 20s in Co. Kerry. He learned fiddle from Padraig O’Keefe, and is known for his style which combines  the Sligo and Sliabh Luacra styles, and his unusual tune settings.

In the 1940s he emigrated to the US, and immersed himself in the Sligo style music scene in Boston. Very influenced by the music of James Morrison and Michael Coleman, he incorporated their style into his own native Sliabh Luachra style of fiddling, creating a style that was unique to him.

He returned to Ireland in the 1990s and was awarded the Gradam Saoil (Lifetime Achievement Award) by TG4 in 2007 for his lifetime contribution to Irish music. In an interview with the Irish Times, he said :

If you want decent music, you’ve got to find somebody good to listen to. With a teacher like Pádraig O’Keeffe, we made out alright. He shortened the road for me no end